| Honored by: | Nina J. Hiatt |
| Brick location: | F:16 map |
Leora Esther Gowdy Hiatt was born March 17, 1922 to Levi and Cora Gowdy. Her name was derived from a combination of her parents' names. She attended Iowa State University from 1940-1941 before marrying Clifford Carl Hiatt. They raised five children: Nicola Jean, Nina Jo Nolan, Carl Nan, Janine and Nyla Joy (known as the 5 Ns) on a farm in Central Iowa halfway between Melbourne and State Center.
We are honoring our mother because not only is she a warm nurturing loving mother but she has lived her life caring for others. She instilled in us an appreciation for all people and nature and a belief in ourselves. Her creativity spanned from furnishing her daughters' bedrooms with orange-crate vanities baking and decorating cakes for sale creating the first liquid hand soap to recycling greeting cards. Her love of games especially playing cards gave us hours of pleasure and taught us to win or lose graciously. We were not the only ones who benefited from her wisdom and courage.
After successfully recovering from cancer her doctor asked Leora to speak to a class he was teaching. He wanted her to relate the mental imaging she used to help fight the disease and the importance of a caring doctor-patient relationship. With much love and gratitude we include your name Mom in the Plaza of Heroines.
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