Jordan 'surprised,' 'thankful' to be pioneer as Cape County coroner

Wavis Jordan, the coroner-elect of Cape Girardeau County, said he is “surprised” and “thankful” to be elected to a four-year term Tuesday.

Jordan was at work at Rhodes convenience store on East Jackson Boulevard in Jackson when he got word he had won the primary.

“I was jumping up and down and was as happy as a lark,” said Jordan, 40, the first Black person to hold countywide office in living memory.

“To my knowledge, (Jordan) is the first,” said Frank Nickell, Kellerman Foundation historian, former director of the Center for Regional History and retired Southeast Missouri State University history professor.

“I’m also the first (Black person) to ever win countywide on the Republican ticket,” added Jordan, who will succeed retiring longtime Coroner John Clifton on Jan. 1.

There is no Democratic opponent for coroner in the Nov. 3 general election, making Jordan the de facto coroner-in-waiting.

Jordan finished first in a three-way GOP race, besting current coroner’s chief deputy Dennis Turner and K. Gerald “Jerry” Swan.

• Wavis Jordan — 5,408 votes (39.47%)
• Dennis Turner — 4,684 votes (34.18%)
• K. Gerald “Jerry” Swan — 3,610 votes (26.35%)

Jordan has no previous experience as a coroner but has worked in various capacities for area funeral homes in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Sikeston, Dexter, Scott City and Malden, Missouri.

“I’ve worked visitations, driven the hearse, transported flowers and preached at quite a few funeral services,” Jordan said.

Jordan earned a Master of Divinity degree in 2002 from Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, is ordained in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and is a member of Jackson’s New McKendree United Methodist Church.

He currently serves as president of the SEMO Pachyderm conservative club, as an interim pastor of Hobbs Chapel church and as a greeter and security guard at Jackson High School.

“I think what I bring to the coroner’s office is a gentle, kind and compassionate heart,” Jordan said.

“I may not have the experience of my opponents but people know me and know I’m capable,” he added.

Asked whether the furor surrounding the May 25 death of African American George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police and the resultant Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests following the slaying had an impact on Tuesday’s vote, Jordan said a succinct reply.

“That’s a good question, (but) I never gave it a thought,” Jordan said, adding, “I am grateful (Cape Girardeau County) will have a person of color in (elective) office.”

Jordan said he has not attended BLM protests.

“I’m not part of (BLM), don’t understand it, and I think all lives matter,” he said.

Jordan said he is thankful for law enforcement and does not support any effort to defund the police.

“Three years ago, I had a diabetic issue and if it were not for the police getting me to the hospital, I would not be talking to you today,” he said.

Jordan, a Greenwood, Mississippi, native, originally came to Cape Girardeau County in 1997 to attend Southeast Missouri State University.

Jordan said he is open to Turner remaining in the coroner’s office.

“(Dennis) is a wonderful man and I have no hard feelings,” Jordan said. “If (Turner) would like to continue, we’ll sit down and discuss it.”

He said he is also open to having the office’s other deputy, Dave Taylor, continue in his role.

Jordan expects to consult Clifton in the coming months and will attend a multiple-day coroner’s training in Jefferson City, Missouri, this December.

“They’ll show me how to do the paperwork, among other things,” he said.

Jordan said he is aware some may view him as a pioneer.

“Yes, but I want people to know my heart, not just the color of my skin,” he said.

As a Black Republican, Jordan said he has encountered negative comments because of his political affiliation throughout his life.

“My mother and dad are both Democrats but knew I had Republican leanings since childhood,” Jordan said.

“They told me as a Black man to get out and vote and stand my ground,” he added.