Nancy Schirmer 1932-2016
Nancy Stewart (Moore) Schirmer passed away peacefully in Las Vegas, Nev., at the age of 83 with her husband of 62 years by her side, after she had a chance to say her final good-byes to her children on May 29, 2016. Nancy is remembered as a devoted wife, mother, sister, teacher and friend with an inner strength and light that amazed us all.
Nancy was born to Jetta and Harry Moore on Sept. 19, 1932, and grew up on the family farm outside of Larkinburg. She spent her youth working on the farm and keeping a sharp eye on her five younger siblings Jarry, Sam, Bryce, Marion, and Becky (Stauffer).
Nancy met the love of her life, Gerry Schirmer, at Holton High School. After graduating in 1950, both Nancy and Gerry left to attend college and after one year, Nancy came back to Jackson County to teach in the one-room Center Grade School, where she was teacher, principal, janitor, administrator and nurse. She demonstrated her resourcefulness on a shoe-string budget where she could not get much paper but instead got her father, Harry, to make chalk tablets for each student with scrap wood and black paint. In the meantime, Gerry joined the Air Force to become a pilot.
In 1953, Nancy and Gerry married and started their world adventure as a family. Susan was born in Kansas, Patty and Chet in Mississippi, followed by Sarah in San Antonio, Texas. As an Air Force family, they lived in many places including Mississippi, Texas, Arizona, Kansas, England, Germany and Nevada.
Nancy was an exceptionally supportive and strong wife and mother, especially when Gerry left to serve in the Vietnam War in 1967-68, and then again in 1974-75. When Gerry was home, they enjoyed traveling with special memories for semiannual trips they made in Gerry’s second career working for Scenic Airlines to include a private party at the Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., and trips to Snowmass, Colo., Australia, Bahamas, San Francisco and Puerto Rico.
Nancy also shared Gerry’s enthusiasm for flying and she got her private pilot license in 1963. She and Gerry had many more adventures and flying trips in their own airplanes. They made frequent flights to Baja California in Mexico, where they loved to go deep-sea fishing. Just recently, they made a special excursion to Alaska, where they saw many beautiful sites and wildlife.
Nancy loved nature and was a keen observer, as seen in her artwork and her lively descriptions of the things she had seen. She never lost her love for the natural world, near or far. Just last week, she was remarking about a quail family that landed in her backyard.
Children were always a big part of Nancy’s life. After her start in the one-room classroom at age 19, Nancy continued to teach for more than 50 years until she retired at age 73. For the last 23 years of her career, she taught third and fourth grade at Cyril Wengert Elementary school in Las Vegas, Nev. This age group was always her favorite. She was able to share her special passion for reading with these students, and this passion did not stop in the classroom. She shared it with her own four children, 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Nancy valued education and was a great role model as she took the time to get her bachelor’s degree from The University of Kansas in 1968 and a master’s degree in special education from University of Las Vegas, Nev., in 1974 while she was working and raising her own four children. She was three hours short of getting her doctorate but thought that a Ph.D. would mean she had to move into school administration. She wanted to stay in the classroom so she never finished that degree. Her passion was teaching.
Nancy was a HUGE sports fan. Football and golf were favorites. She was always fun and interesting to visit with on the phone, but you learned to keep it short if a sporting event was broadcasting!
Nancy and Gerry created a lot of special memories with the cabin they had in southern Utah where the family would ski every winter. Nancy was a speed hound on the slopes! In the summer, the whole family enjoyed hiking and fishing — Nancy especially loved catfish and was happy to grill them up and share with everyone.
While Nancy enjoyed sports and adventures, the real priorities in her life where driven by her values for hard work, education, and devotion to family. Nancy will be most remembered as a loving wife, mother, and teacher. She will be missed.
Nancy is preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Jetta; a daughter, Patty Schirmer; and a grandson, Grant Schirmer.
Nancy is survived by her husband, Gerald Schirmer; daughters Susan (Mike) Machen and Sarah (Joe) d’Eon; son Chet (Karen) Schirmer; 10 grandchildren, Samantha (Ben) Alsop, Ben (Megan) Machen, Alex Machen, Edward Machen, Jeanne (Tony) Cafferata, Christie d’Eon, Joseph d’Eon, Tiffany (Tony) Jordan, Jetta (Noah) Russell, and Kit Schirmer; and eight great-grandchildren, Lola and AJ Cafferata, Grayson Alsop, Emerson and Declan Russell, Elliott Machen, and Eli and Remington Jordan. Nancy is also survived by all her Moore siblings, Jarry, Sam, Bryce, Marion and Becky (Stauffer).
Memorial services will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 11 at Evangel United Methodist Church, 227 Pennsylvania Ave., Holton. Burial will follow in Holton Cemetery at 11999 Kansas Highway 16, Holton.
Condolences may be left at the online memorial nancy-schirmer.forevermissed.com/. We encourage folks to visit the website and share stories and photos. Since Nancy loved reading and her home town, you may make a donation to Beck-Bookman Library in lieu of flowers.
(PAID OBITUARY)
