I forgot to mention that I recounted my story to my brother Pat, and he commented that she walked 2 1/2 miles from the Straight Creek bridge in the morning to Center and then returned the same distance in the afternoon.  What a trooper!

I was sorry to learn of Nancy's passing.  She enjoyed a wonderful life filled with many adventures.  It left me breathless just reading her story!

My story is a real stretch, but it has always meant a lot to me, so I'll share it.  I was in the 1st grade at Rose Hill School, and Nancy was teaching at Center School--two miles to the west.  In those days most of the rural roads were dirt/mud.  On muddy days Harry dropped Nancy off in the morning at the Straight Creek bridge, and Nancy walked to Center. As noted, I was at Rose Hill.  As I walked in the afternoon home from school one mile west and a half-mile south to our farm, I would on occasion encounter Nancy who was walking east from Center and then south to the bridge where Harry picked her up.  We walked together for a half-mile to the farm; Nancy continued south to the bridge.

I have no idea what we talked about--probably school!  I loved school and she was a teacher.  So she had to be a good person!  Indeed she went on to be an excellent teacher.

I don't know how many times our chance encounters occurred.  However, they remain among my earliest and favorite memories. It was a simple thing:  a little boy and a novice teacher walking and talking together on a mud road in Kansas many years ago.  It's true that the simple pleasures in life are often the most meaningful.

I should also note that I think often of Harry & Jetta.  They were such good people, and I have fond memories of both.  My parents Ralph & Gladys Ireland also admired them.  My father commented that Jetta was so intelligent that it was a shame she was stuck on a farm in the country.  The fact that she was a staunch Democrat was a definite plus! 

My sympathy to all.  How fortunate we are that Nancy passed our way. 

My sister Nancy loved to eat fried catfish that our mother was an ace at preparing with all the trimmings. Our dad,my older brother, Jarry, and myself caught a ton of Channel cat fish on Elk Creek just below our farm house.  We really kept her well supplied!!   My other fond memory of her when I was in high school and had a hot date for high school prom or other special events she would let me use her new Pontiac! That really met a lot to me and this fond memory has stuck with me ever since. She was a very generous and warm hearted person and will be missed very much by everyone who ever had the chance to know her.  With our love,   deAnn & Sam Moore

I have a lot of good memories of Nancy.  Nancy being the oldest in our family was always a leader for us.   She had a way of including all of us in what she was doiing.
She had a great sense of himor so made doing things together fun.  Once when she was in high school she took me school with her so I could see what high school was like.   Being 7 years younger that her it was big deal to me and made me feel important.  She was very popular in high school and had a lot of fiends which we all got to know through her. .  When she started dating Gerry he would come out to the farm to pick her up.   When he came into the house he had to face 7 of us looking at him but I guess he got through that ok as he kept coming back.  There were 6 kids in our family and she had no favorites she was good to all of us. A special year was when she stayed with us about a year when Gerry was going through pilot training.
Sue had jjust been born.  So having them in the house was fun for all of us. Nancy taught then at Arrington Grade School we got to know all her pupils and went to her school activities. Once she brought her whole class to our house to watch a presidential inanguration on TV.  Later when she and Gerry were living at various Air Force bases they would fly into see us in their plane. They landed at the very small Larkinburg Airport but first would circle the house to let us know they were there.  We all looked forward to that.   She was a very gifted teacher and took an interest in all of her pupils.  She wanted to bring out the best in her pupils and she was that kind of a big sister too. She was very special.  

Sister you were the best.  Brother Bryce   .

Nancy sent me a copy of a letter she wrote to our Mother when I was born, the last of six children.  I am going to share some of the letter which is quite long even though she had her hands full helping with the housework.  Nancy was 14 at the time.
Dear Mom,
"Kaye, Bryce, Marion and I just finished dinner,  That's all that is here today as Dad and Jarry are in Egypt.  Boy, Mom, you should see the floor.  It's really super. I went (with Kayes help) over the woodwork with furniture creme.  It doesn't look bad at all.  The floor well your or mine imagination couldn't go far enough to express how it looks-I waxed it lightly and Kaye and I polished hooey out of it.  The dishes are back in the cupboard,too.  Marion didn't know I't put them back in at noon. When I told him I had he said, "Oh good now we can keep the baby"  Honestly that kid believes everything everybody tells him.

Those bums went to the ball game after we left you (under my protest).  Seems to me that the boys and Dad go just a little overboard about ball,  Just mention a ball game and they's go through hell and high water to get there.

Seems like it is cooler in here.  It is supposed to get up to 100 today.  Becky will have to shed her diaper if it keeps up like this.  She sure is cute.  It was as a good thing they had that glass between me and her or she would not have stayed in that crib long.  When we went to her the boys(all four) were absolutely big eyed.  None of the them hardly got a word out they just stood and looked. They thought she was cute.  Bryce thought she needed her fingernails cut. 
Lots of love  Nancy

I will miss my sister very much, I hope she knew I loved her as much as I know she loved me.