Cynthia Sue Van Horn, age 58, of Glidden, IA, passed away on Wednesday, August 28 at Unity Point/Methodist Hospital in Des Moines, IA.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Saturday, September 14, 2024 at Peace Lutheran Church in Glidden with Pastor Alan Miller officiating. Organist for the service will be Becky Miller. Casket Bearers will be the Glidden First Responders and EMS. Honorary Casket bearers will be members of the Let Our Lights Shine Ladies Group. Burial will be in the Merle Hay Memorial Cemetery near Glidden.
Visitation will be held at the Peace Lutheran Church in Glidden from 5 – 7 P.M. on Friday, September 13, 2024 with a time to share memories at 7 P.M. Additional visitation will be held at Peace Lutheran Church on Saturday from 9:30 A.M. to 10:15 A.M. prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Samaritans Purse – Operation Christmas Child.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Glidden and online condolences may be left for the family at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com
Cindi was born on December 16, 1965 to Kenneth and Verneva (Blanchard) Stevens in Jefferson, Iowa. She attended Scranton Elementary from Kindergarten through 8th grade. Due to her mothers’ new job, Cindi attended Lohrville High School until graduation on May 13, 1984. After graduation Cindi attended Morningside College and obtained a degree in Graphic Arts and Computer Science. Cindi met husband John on a blind date in 1993 in Fort Dodge. John and Cindi married on March 19, 1994 in Farnhamville Lutheran Church. They lived in a house on the outside of Glidden where they settled for the past previous 30 years. During these 30 years John and Cindi had four children: Daniel, Maria, Katie, and Esther.
Throughout her lifetime Cindi was actively involved in her children’s lives and always there for support no matter how far the distance traveled needed. Over the span of 24 years Cindi attended every event that her kids were involved in. Never missing a single event. It is estimated that there was over 1,500 events. During the school year Cindi was often seen at multiple sporting events including football games, volleyball games, soccer games, basketball games, and summer/winter swim team. Cindi’s love for her children didn’t just stop at sporting events. She also attended all musical events (musicals, contests), speech contests, 4H events at the local and state fairs, dance recitals, and all graduation ceremonies in different parts of the country. As Cindi’s children grew up and out of the house, they never forgot the love and passion she had for them and would always bring back a souvenir from their travels but locally and internationally. Cindi was an avid collector of spoons, napkins, and everything Cinderella.
When Cindi wasn’t actively at an event for her children, she was seen around the community volunteering. Cindi lived her life in the life of the Lord and giving back to others. Cindi was a first responder in the community for the past 30 years and attended almost every call that was paged even if it meant leaving in the middle of board game/family night. With her knowledge of calls and the difficulty that people went through, Cindi took the house her parents lived in and turned it into an Airbnb for people to continue to use and stay in. During the summertime Cindi loved to fill out ribbons (swim team), be a fourth-grade teacher at Peace Lutheran Vacation Bible School (10 years) and to be a 4H judge at different county fairs throughout the state of Iowa.
Cindi’s passions included Selling Tupperware for the past 27 years. Being able to send quilts to people throughout the world. A soccer coach for all her children during their elementary ages. A girl scout leader, an American Heritage Girls leader, and a cub scout leader. During Christmas time the family could be seen and heard at nursing homes throughout the area doing Christmas Carols. For many years Cindi and her family helped set up the festival of lights at Swan Lake as well as collecting donations on Christmas Eve each year. Cindi’s passions went all throughout the Midwest. She loved to volunteer at Operation Christmas Child with packaging Christmas presents for children around the world in poorer countries. Cindi spent the entire fair (11 days) at the Iowa State Fair down with the Shriners driving Golf carts to raise money for kids in need that can’t afford surgeries.
Cindi had a passion of getting to know and meeting everyone. For the past 10 years, Cindi has been the Life Serve Blood Drive Coordinator for the Glidden Area. She would often organize the events and get people to volunteer to donate blood including herself. In her time of being a blood donor she donated 8 gallons of blood. Cindi will continue to live out her legacy as an organ donor.
Cindi is survived by her husband John of Glidden, son Daniel (Sona) Van Horn of Singapore, daughter Maria Van Horn of Rockledge, Florida, and a daughter Esther Van Horn of Glidden, Iowa. She also survived by A brother Mike (Tere) of Texas, brother Todd of Iowa and brother Brian (Michelle) of Iowa. As well as various nieces/nephews.
Cindi is preceded in death by her daughter Katherine RosaLee Van Horn in 2003. A sister in law Anneliese Victoria “Lisa” Gilly Stevens in 2009. Her mother Verneva “Vee” Lavonne (Blanchard) Stevens in 2011 and her Father Kenneth Eugene Stevens in 2017.
