Althea Fordham 1930-2025
Althea Marie (Cordell) Fordham, 95, formerly of Havensville, passed away Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, at Eastridge Nursing Home in Centralia.
Althea Marie, oldest child of Glenn Sanford and Gladys (Hickman) Cordell, was born July 20, 1930, in Holly, Colo. She attended middle school in Granada, Colo., in a school her father was proud to help build. She moved with her family to Kansas to a farm south of Soldier in 1944. She graduated from Soldier High School in 1948.
She married Marvin Dale Fordham on June 21, 1948, in Holton. He preceded her in death in 2008 after sharing 60 years of marriage. She was also preceded in death by a sister, Gladys “Beryl” Fisher Askren; brothers, Willard LeRoy, Sanford “Earl” and Lawrence “Larry” Ralph Cordell; sisters-in-law, Frances (Earl) Cordell, Audrey “Jean” (Elden) Cordell and Kathryn “Kathy” (Lawrence) Cordell; and two infant great-grandchildren.
Althea was a lifelong member of the Bucks Grove Methodist Church, Bucks Grove Ladies Guild and Havensville Historical Society.
She previously owned and operated A&M Markert in Havensville from 1962 to 1975, then was employed at Walmart in Holton for 15 years before her retirement. She was devoted to her family and especially loved spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They caught and cleaned many fish together.
Survivors include three sons, Dale Eugene “Gene” (Kathy) Fordham of St. Marys, and Marvin “Leroy” Fordham and Thomas “Tom” Wayne (Kay) Fordham, both of Topeka; two daughters, Linda Kay Horgan (Tim) and Susan “Susie” Marie Achten (Jim) of Wetmore; 12 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren and twin great-granddaughters on the way.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10 at Mercer Funeral Home in Holton. Burial will follow at Bucks Grove Cemetery. Family will greet friends one hour prior to the service. Althea will lie in state from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9 at the funeral home.
Memorials may be given to Bucks Grove United Methodist Church, sent in care of Mercer Funeral Home, P.O. Box 270, Holton, KS 66436. To leave a special message for the family, please visit www.mercerfuneralhomes.com
(PAID OBITUARY)
