A Lesson in Giving Back: Nissen Turns Grief into Generosity

For Judy Nissen, education is many things.

It’s a professional calling, shaping the career to which she dedicated her life. It’s a light in the darkness during times of tragedy, of which Judy’s had far more than her fair share. It’s a source of purpose, driving her passion to build her legacy. It’s a meaningful privilege and a lifelong gift – one that she’s given to many through the endowed memorial scholarship established in honor of her late husband, Gordon Elzenga ’66.

Her journey has revolved around education, positioning her to change countless lives for the better, support generations of Jackrabbits, and honor the memory of those she’s lost. 

Hailing from Rock Rapids, Iowa, Judy and Gordon connected one afternoon at the Lyon County Fair after graduating in 1960. While Judy set out for Iowa State Teachers College (now University of Northern Iowa), Gordon remained at home to focus on saving money and deciding what he’d like to study. The day Judy left for college, her father told her he wished he could go with her. Though he remained behind on the farm, his words stayed with her for a lifetime, serving as a constant reminder of what a gift it was to pursue an education. 

Thanks to a GPA-based tuition grant that helped make ends meet, Judy remained at school year-round, majoring in vocational home economics and working early hours in the campus cafeteria. Most nights were spent penning letters to Gordon, who’d recently discovered a lump on his neck that proved to be a malignant tumor. At just 19, Gordon was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease, undergoing successful treatment before setting off for SDSU. Drawn to the small campus not too far from home, he chose to study animal science at State. Missing Gordon more than ever, Judy was determined to finish her degree early, graduating in 1963 after just three years.  

Judy immediately began teaching, accepting a position in Tyler, Minnesota, for its proximity to Gordon. The couple married in June 1964 while Gordon was still attending SDSU. Soon after, he became riddled with back pain, followed by paralysis from the waist down. By the spring of 1965, he was hospitalized in Sioux Falls as doctors removed a tumor from his spine. The surgery meant Gordon missed two months of school, learning to walk again and undergoing radiation. With Gordon’s degree unfinished and medical bills mounting, Judy often wondered how they’d manage. She recalls spending their first anniversary in the hospital, unearthing their wedding cake from the freezer and sharing a slice on Gordon’s bed.  

Finally on the mend, Gordon graduated in 1966, though he encountered a harsh reality awaiting him in the workforce. At the time, it was common practice for employers to enquire about medical history in their applications – and most balked at hiring Gordon. After several unsuccessful attempts, he found work with the federal government for the Farmers Home Administration in Iowa Falls.   

Gordon loved his new role, spending his days visiting rural communities and providing loans to farmers. When he was transferred to Le Mars, Iowa, Judy followed suit and found a teaching position in Sioux City. Her time there was short-lived, as teachers weren’t allowed to work beyond their fifth month of pregnancy, and Judy was expecting their first child. Less than one week after the Elzengas welcomed their daughter, Jodi, Judy marched into an interview with a newborn in her arms, intent on getting back into the teaching arena; she got the job. Less than two years later, Judy again brought an infant along to an interview, this time their youngest daughter, Jana. She secured a place at Le Mars Junior High as Gordon’s health began to decline, thinking warily of a future where she might have to support the girls alone. 

That future came all too quickly. In April 1971, Gordon was admitted to the hospital, where doctors discovered his cancer had spread to a terminal level. He passed away a week later on Easter Sunday at just 29 years old. Faced with raising two children under the age of two, Judy mustered her courage, finding solace in teaching and with her remaining family nearby. 

By 1978, life looked very different for Judy. She’d remarried, reluctantly leaving behind her teaching position in Le Mars when her second husband, Jim, was offered a job in Korea. What followed was a difficult and isolated year as they navigated a foreign country under military rule. Judy passed the time substitute-teaching in Seoul and volunteering for the Red Cross. When Jim lost his job, the family returned to the United States, rudderless without jobs or a home. After she and Jim later divorced, Judy found herself back at square one. She and her daughters moved to Iowa to be close to her family, but teaching was a more challenging return.  

Judy struggled to find work, with many schools insisting her 14 years of experience made her overqualified. She and her girls ultimately landed in Marshalltown, where Judy was hired at the community college. The three settled into a happy equilibrium for several years before tragedy struck once more.  

On a July afternoon in 1983, Judy watched the clock at a dentist’s office, waiting for Jodi to meet her there for an appointment. Instead, the sheriff walked in, delivering news that would upend her world. En route from their summer job detasseling corn, 13-year-old Jana and 15-year-old Jodi had been killed in a car accident. Life for Judy felt empty and bleak in the wake of such loss. She credits her then-boyfriend, Bob Nissen, with guiding her through that darkness. When the dust settled after the funerals, Judy asked Bob to stay with her – he never left, and the two later married.  

In her grief, Judy kept coming back to a memory. Not long before her daughters’ death, she remembered driving through Iowa State University with the girls. Judy recalled Jodi peering around at the campus in excitement, asking if she could go to college there someday, making plans for the future – and so would Judy. Still working at the community college, she enrolled in Truman State University in pursuit of her master’s degree, attending school on weekends and in the summers. 

“I was so fired up to get more education,” Judy reflects.  

At 45 years old, she set a goal for herself to earn her Ph.D. by the time she was 50. At age 49, she completed her Doctorate in Higher Education Administration at Iowa State – the very university Jodi once dreamed of. Education offered a way for Judy to transform her grief into action, not only by continuing her own schooling but by fueling opportunities for others to do the same. She established scholarships in honor of Jodi and Jana at the high school in Marshalltown, preserving their memory and granting access to a brighter future for countless students.  

Judy’s career continued to revolve around education as she went on to become the Director of the Center for Public Higher Education in Sioux Falls, working closely with the Board of Regents. Her position put her in the orbit of South Dakota State once more, reconnecting her with Gordon’s alma mater and inspiring her to honor his legacy, too. She created the Gordon L. Elzenga Scholarship in 2004.  

“It’s my passion, and every little bit helps,” she says. “One of the ways that you become more resilient is when you hear about the resiliency of others in hardships. For students to know Gordon’s story would be an excellent way to know what’s possible, even when things aren’t going your way.”  

Among Judy’s most treasured possessions are her thank you notes from scholarship recipients – she’s saved every letter, proudly compiling them on a bulletin board. In April 2025, she finally had the chance to meet one of those recipients for the first time on the SDSU campus.

Nearly 54 years to the date of Gordon’s passing, Judy was introduced to Chiara Thompson, a student majoring in animal science whose Jackrabbit experience was made possible because of Judy’s gift. In an afternoon neither would forget, Judy told Chiara that this scholarship was a part of her and Gordon’s family legacy. By extension, she explained that Chiara was, too.  

Judy and Gordon’s scholarship is a testament to the power of education: how it can help, how it can heal, and how it can truly change lives for the better. There’s much to be learned from their story, and Jackrabbits will continue to learn from it, thanks to Judy’s generosity.