Nancy W. Lewis

Nancy W. Lewis has touched many lives with her grace, her humor, her optimism and her love. We, her children, Mynda, Ken, Jon, and Liz are proud to honor Nancy for her professional, volunteer, religious, artistic and political contributions to the Ames community.

Iowa school teachers Mabel and Frank White brought Nancy Sue White into the world on June 11, 1933 in Burlington, Iowa. After a childhood spent moving from town to town throughout the Iowa and the upper midwest Nancy's family settled in Springfield, Ohio where in 1951 she graduated from high school. Four years later Nancy graduated from Wittenberg College in Springfield with a B.S. in Medical Technology and married fellow Wittenberg Tiger Edwin Lewis. Nancy and Ed moved to Ames in 1957 where they have survived floods, bad football teams, several administrations and raising four children with their sense of humor and most of their internal organs intact.

Nancy has been a great supporter of the Ames medical community both in her work as a Medical Technologist at McFarland Clinic and as the recipient of numerous surgical procedures. Nancy has also been involved in the book industry as a producer and a consumer having been at one time an editor at the ISU Press and a voracious reader her entire life. After perfecting her parenting skills on the four of us Nancy gave up her amateur status and turned professional by providing In Home Day Care for around 50 Ames infants over a period of eight years thereby playing an important role in the lives of many Ames children and providing the four of us with many opportunities to change diapers.

In addition she and Ed have taught many parenting classes in the Honors Program at ISU providing the four of us with even more opportunities to embarrass them in front of their students. A steady supporter of the Christian Left, Nancy has been extensively involved with Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Ames being a charter member and holding just about every lay position available except organist and choir director.

Nancy is active in the local arts community primarily in Textile Art doing her part to keep the yam industry afloat. She and her mother who has lived in Ames since 1973 have worked together to decorate several Christmas Trees for the Festival of Trees in Ames.

Nancy also devotes a great deal of time to assisting with the Planned Parenthood Book Sale in Des Moines and uses her well honed telephone skills answering phones during pledge time at WOI radio. On the political front Nancy has chaired several election boards and has been Republican Precinct Committeewoman but claims no responsibility for the Reagan Revolution.

We are proud to be able to take this opportunity to honor Nancy W. Lewis and publicly thank her for all she has done and will continue to do for us and the community. Mom you are a great example to all of us and we hope that through your guidance we will be able to give as much to others as you have to us.

12/12/94