Judy Carol Hembry

Judy C. Hembry, 74, of Fort Dodge, Iowa, crossed over to the other side on Tuesday, October 22, 2019, at the Paula J. Baber Hospice Home in Fort Dodge.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, October 28, 2019, at Asbury United Methodist Church in Webster City. Pastor Jeff Flagg will officiate. Visitation will be Sunday, October 27, 2019 from 5-8 p.m. at Asbury United Methodist Church. Following services, Judy will be cremated and burial will be at a later date at Decatur City Cemetery in Decatur City, Iowa.

Judy Carol Hethcote was born on January 17, 1945, in Alexandria, Louisiana, the daughter of William E. and F. Marie (Connor) Hethcote. She graduated from Lenox High School in Lenox, Iowa in 1963. Judy attended American Beauty School in Des Moines and following her education, worked as a beautician in Des Moines.

On December 22, 1964, she was united in marriage to John Joseph Hembry in Des Moines, Iowa. To this union, three children were born: Suzanne Marie, John James, and Mary Elizabeth.

John and Judy received a calling to serve our risen Lord fulltime in ministry to others. In June of 1978, John received an appointment in the United Methodist Church to pastor churches in Rowley and Walker, Iowa. Judy was also effective in pastoral ministry, though not ordained. The couple also pastored churches in Woolstock, Vincent, Duncombe, Lime Springs, Chester, Dayton, Harcourt, and Sigourney, Iowa, until retiring in 2012. In addition to raising her family, she worked in conjunction with John in many church activities and was instrumental in starting Aglow women’s ministries in Independence, also serving as its president in Fort Dodge. In retirement John & Judy served the Epworth congregation in Fort Dodge.

Judy was given the gift of encouragement from God. She was well known for her bubbly personality, beautiful smile, infectious laugh, amazing hugs, and words of encouragement. Judy was full of compassion and had a heart for all of God’s people. Family was very important to Judy she was a faithful wife and a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Jessica Noel Greenway.

Survivors include her husband of 54 years, John Hembry of Fort Dodge; children, Suzanne (Chad) Foster of Webster City, John (Kim) Hembry of Waukee, and Mary (Brad) Eslick of Dayton; 9 grandchildren, Sarah (Dustin) Elliott, Abby (Eldon) Hoopes, Andrew, Alexa, and Austin Hembry, Daniel, Nick, Michael, and Lauren Eslick; four great-grandchildren, Ethan, Aubree and Bennett Elliott and Oliver Hoopes; her brother-in-law, Ken Nelson; special cousin, Ada Loving; and by many other family members and friends.