Judith "Judy" Duden, of Kirksville, Missouri, passed away peacefully on June 23, 2026, at the age of 85. She was a beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who spent countless years as an educator, mentor, and advocate for young children.

Born on February 27, 1941, to Zed and Marvel Hughes in Corydon, Iowa. Judy spent her early years on the family farm in Corydon, Iowa. She developed a deep love for her registered Polled Hereford cattle and took great pride in showing them at the Iowa State Fair. Her passion for agriculture and cattle remained a constant throughout her life. Judy loved talking about her Iowa roots and sharing her memories of working on the farm. Each year she took her family to the Iowa State Fair. Her favorite part of the fair was walking through the show barns, admiring the livestock, and watching young exhibitors proudly show the animals they had worked so hard to raise. Seeing the next generation involved in agriculture brought her great joy.

Judy graduated college at her beloved Iowa State University. She continued to follow the Iowa State Cyclones throughout her life. Her favorite sport to watch was basketball and she was sure to tell everyone when her team was “red hot!”

On November 30, 1963, in Corydon, Iowa, Judy married the love of her life, Tom Duden. Together they built a life grounded in love, partnership, and commitment, sharing more than four decades of memories, family, and friendship. To this union two children were born, Denise (Jeff) McVay and Debbie (Rob) Snyder. She is also survived by their grandchildren: Jessica (Dennis) Branstetter, Jillian Pulis, Cody (Stephanie) Snyder, Abby (Lance) Weber, Adam Snyder, and Tyler (Kalie) McVay. She is also survived by her sister, Roxanne (Andy) Tovrea, and several great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

For 34 years, Judy served as an educator in the Kirksville R-III School District, where she left an enduring impact on generations of students and families. Judy dedicated her life to enriching the lives of children and families through her pioneering work in early childhood education. She founded the Early Childhood Careers Program, where she taught preschool children and high school students simultaneously, providing future educators with valuable hands-on experience. Judy was also the first program director to offer the Child Development Associate (CDA) credentialing program, and her expertise led the Missouri Department of Education to enlist her help in implementing the program statewide.

Her outstanding contributions earned her recognition as Teacher of the Year from both the Early Childhood and Family and Consumer Sciences divisions of the Missouri Department of Education, as well as national recognition as a USA Today Second Team Teacher of the Year.

Tom and Judy spent their life bettering the community of Kirksville, MO. Northeast Missouri State University, NMSU, President Charles McClain asked Judy to develop and implement a summer program that would provide children with meaningful and enjoyable activities during the summer months. Her vision led to the creation of the Tween Club, a program that benefited not only the university community but also families throughout the region. Judy’s work with Tween Club inspired her broader efforts to expand opportunities for children beyond the school day. She played a key role in developing after-school programming across the State of Missouri. Working alongside her husband, Tom, she successfully advocated for a dedicated line item in the state budget to support out-of-school-time programming.

Judy touched many lives throughout her career in education. Her legacy lives on through the many educators she influenced, including her own daughter and grand-daughters!

In her later life, Judy served on the Kirksville R-III School Board for nine years. Judy enjoyed cruising around Thousand Hills State Park with Tico in her Volkswagen beetle bug –McDonald’s coke in hand. Judy was an avid shopper. She could shop until she dropped, but never seemed to “drop.” Judy loved tending to her flowers and listening to Truman and Kirksville School’s bands play, but if something needed critiquing she was more than happy to offer her expert opinion!

To know Judy, was to love Judy. Her laugh and smile were contagious. She was the kind of person that was easy to love and made everyone feel welcome, cared for, and important. The world is less bright without Judy Duden in it, but her legacy will live on through the countless lives she touched.

Services will be held on Sunday, June 28, 2026 at the Travis-Noe Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. with services beginning at 3:00 pm. Intermittent will follow at Park View Memorial Gardens in Kirksville.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to Hospice of Northeast Missouri, which may be left at or mailed to Travis-Noe Funeral Home, P.O. Box 306, Kirksville, MO 63501.