Carol Cordes
January 4, 1948 ~ January 15, 2022
Carol Cordes, age 74 of New Hampton, IA died Saturday, January 15, 2022, at Linn Haven Rehab and Healthcare in New Hampton.
A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, June 27, 2022, at the United Methodist Church in New Hampton. Friends may greet the family an hour prior to the Memorial Service at the church on Monday. Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home and Crematory have been entrusted with arrangements.
Carol was born on Jan. 4. 1948, to Kenneth and Margie (Hemmen) Cordes in Webster City. She and her younger brother, Steven, grew up in Allison and Eldora, and it was at Eldora where Carol found her love for athletics. She starred as a forward with the 6-on-6 girls basketball team and also found her passion for golf while a student at Eldora High School.
After graduating from high school in 1966, Carol attended the University of Northern Iowa, where she pursued her degree in physical education.
In 1970, she accepted a position as an elementary school and middle school physical education teacher at New Hampton, where she spent her entire 34-year career. Carol had a knack for reaching her students and always believed in them. Her goal for them was simple — do your best at anything you tried. She was an excellent teacher because she could teach tasks so well. Countless New Hampton kids learned how to tie their shoes because she had a way of taking them through each step of the process.
Carol was one of the pioneers for girls' sports at New Hampton — starting the volleyball and basketball programs and was also a coach for the track and softball teams. She coached the 1973 Chickasaws to the state volleyball tournament, and even years later, she loved to talk about the grit and determination her girls showed on the court, the track, and the diamond. But she was also the kind of coach who liked a “good play,” even if it was made by the team she was coaching against.
After retiring in 2004, she remained active and led the Young at Heart program that helped older residents remain in good physical shape. Carol was also an active member of the First United Methodist Church in New Hampton.
Carol had a huge influence on so many, both in her classroom and in athletics, and many of her former student-athletes became her friends later in life. She supported so many causes; in fact, her friends still chuckle at all the Boy Scout popcorn she bought over the years. She just couldn’t say no to “her kids.” She also was a yearly benefactor to SNAP of Chickasaw County, helping countless animals throughout the years.
Her brother and her friends will always remember how much Carol loved golf. She was an amazingly consistent player who always seemed to put her ball in the right place for her next shot, and she loved playing in tournaments.
Carol was a voracious reader, loved her newspapers and staying up on current events.
She always put others before herself, and even when life threw her friends the proverbial “lemons,” Carol Cordes was the friend who gave them hope and kept things positive. She will be dearly missed by the legions whose lives she touched as a teacher, coach, and friend.
Carol is survived by her brother, Steven Cordes of Orlando, Florida; a niece, Stacy (Peter) Baird of West Melbourne, Florida; a nephew, Kevin (Brittany) Cordes, of Melbourne, Florida; her great-nieces and nephews, Alexandra, Finn, Carter, and Beckett; sister-in-law, Melanie Cordes of West Melbourne, Florida; and the hundreds of students and athletes she taught and coached so well for so many years.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
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Ava Tucker Samantha Jo Tricia Wood Courtney Larissa Pittman oh no!
So sad 🥺
Sympathy to all that knew her.
Nikki Kay Shannon Lee
Thank you Carol for your years of supporting your students at New Hampton. The best P.E. teacher they could ever have. So glad I got to know and work with you. 🙏♥️
Sympathy to all the students and friends who knew her.
Such a wonderful lady. ❤
RIP Carol. 🙏
RIP💖
My sympathies
Will always have a special place in my heart for this lady 😞 She always believed in me and to do my best as an athlete. She even gave me “detention”! I got the slip and it said, “detention for not reaching 5 foot tall before the end of 8th grade, report to Ms. Cordes office.” Once I reported we headed to The Log Cabin for lunch!!! A little extra protein from the yummy burgers there were my “consequence” and maybe it’d boost me up just a little. She was a great friend to my mom too♡
Carol was so thoughtful. She would open her door with her smile & a hot cappuccino ready for me while delivering mail on many freezing days. It warmed my tummy & my heart. 💖 She loved her cats & was so caring to SNAP with her donations. Peace. 😇
Deepest Condolences To The Family ❤️
So sorry to read this. She was very special to me through school and in later years. I’ll never forget her telling me in gym class, “Julie, there is a difference in making people laugh at you, and making them laugh with you” RIP, my friend.
My sympathy to Carol’s family and friends. May she rest in peace.
Our sympathy
Sending prayers to the family
Sympathy and prayers for all the family!
My sympathy to Carol’s family and friends. She was a great aldy with a big heart.
She was so kind and funny.
So sorry to hear this. RIP 🙏
Sympathy to Carol’s family and friends🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Such a great person, we had some good talks.Rest in Peace.
Sad to hear! Sympathy to all her family. She was a kind and caring person. 😔🙏
We use to have early morning talks at school when Carol was teaching. Sorry to hear that she has passed away. My sympathy to all.
So very sad to see this. Carol was such a nice lady; I always enjoyed our chats while watching parades past our house and her just dropping by to chat. We already have missed her waving as she drove by. Sending our sympathy to all who loved her. RIP, dear friend. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
My deepest condolences for her family and friends. RIP Carol.
Rest In Peace!!
Lots of memories with her. All our prayers to her family. Jeanne and David Roder
So sorry RIP Carol ✝️
Our prayers and sympathy to all of Carol’s family. She was a dear friend and great help at the food pantry. Rest In Peace Carol. Leon and Nancy Wegner.
Oh this breaks my heart! Very nice lady!
Carol had a big heart both in and out of her gymnasium classroom.
Carol will be dearly missed. She was a master at providing so many great activities for students of every ability. What a passionate leader, teacher, and coach.
Carol was wonderful. So much fun to be with at the bowling alley. She never forgot the day I picked up the Big 4 split and always told me just how it went down. It will remain in my memory of her and I that Wednesday afternoon. My sympathy to all who knew this wonderful gal.
Our condolences to Carol’s family. We always enjoyed our visits with her through the years. I was always glad for golf tips she shared with me over the years we belonged to the NHGC and during the Labor Day tournament.
Ms. Cordes was my elementary/middle school gym teacher. She was a wonderful teacher. She will be missed.
Carol was a wonderful friend to my mom, Becky Martin. She visited her often while she battled ALS and always gave mom hope and kept things positive. Carol was a great friend to many. May she rest in peace. Our condolences to her friends and family.
I’m so sad to hear this. She was an amazing gym teacher and person 🌸🙏🌸.
When I first started golfing Carol was a great teacher and coach (I was over 40 at the time) and she helped me a lot. We played in many tournaments together. She had athletic talent and was a very nice gal.
Rip coach
I was very saddened to learn of Carol’s health issues and joyously know she is sharing her beautiful smile with many friends in heaven! Her service to others with a humble kind spirit, humor and positivity was a shining light to many. I was blessed to have her friendship.❤
She was a get teacher to me @ a nice friend I’m going to miss her so much
Rest in Peace Carol. Always enjoyed visiting with you and your great smile.
RIP my friend. I know you are in a much better place now. My deepest sympathy to the family. May God comfort you in this time of sadness. She was my PE teacher in elementary and Jr. High. Years later we became friends and she was a great friend. I miss her help at Giving Tree time as she would make calls to other friends and the day of sorting gifts sometime 20 or more people would show up to help. Then we’d all go eat Chinese afterwards. I will miss you my friend!!! I know you are smiling and catching up with old friends and family!!!
Prayers and sympathy to the family. RIP Carol. Hope you find some golf balls up there.
I had the opportunity to coach with Carol. She really cared about the athletes and worked to help them be successful. Always was positive and had smile for everyone. Rest in peace Carol.
Deepest sympathy to Carole’s family
Bob Schilling To a very special friend and even more the very best neighbor a person could have had. Will never forget all the time sitting on my front steps and the great conversations we had and then in the summer both of us admiring what we considered were the 2 best looking lawns in the town. I know you are now in a much happier place
Carol was such a good friend to both Larry and me. She always took care of our dogs when we were out of town. We knew they were in good hands and getting spoiled by her! Larry and Carol also played in many golf tournaments together. After we left New Hampton, Carol was so good to keep us updated with news. We talked with her regularly. Rest In Peace, Carol.
I will always remember Carol for her kindness and faith. My condolences to family and friends. Sincerely, Kimberley Shanahan
A great Coach and friend who had a huge influence on my athletic career and life.
So very sorry to hear this. I was just thinking of her the other day. She was a great coach during my high school days. Fly with the Angels Carol.
I signed for Carol and thought she was a very good teacher. Joyce Ives
Laura Wight May she always Rest In Peace. Hopefully she is supervising children in a gym up in heaven!
Carol, was an amazing friend to all. Her kindness, smiles and enthusiasm were always welcoming. She was an asset to the community and deeply missed.
Steve, I am just seeing this. I tried getting in touch with Carol so many times. We were great friends growing up, neighbors, school, sports. So sorry to hear this news. I wish Eldora would have known. My condolences. Val (Starr) Meeker Eldora