Mary Nancy Gifford

Mary Nancy Gifford of Bucyrus, Kansas, went to be with our Lord on Wednesday, May 29th, 2024. She was 82 years old. “Nancy” was born on April 20th, 1942 in Johnson County, Kansas to Mary D. (Clark) and Leonard M. Ellis. She had five sisters, Josephine A Ellis, Betty D Ellis, Baby Girl Ellis, Shirley E Ellis, and Barbara C Mettlen. As well as one brother, Leonard “Sonny” C Ellis.

As a child, she helped on her family’s farm and loved when her mother would take her and her siblings on special trips to the movies. She would later attend Milburn Jr. High School (where she met her future husband), and Shawnee Mission High School. Her time on the farm began her life-long love of animals. She spent many years doing horse shows, which she continued even through her children’s early years. On November 26th, 1960 she married James Wendell “Windy” Gifford and they shared more than 63 years together before Windy’s passing just two months before her own. In the late 1960s Nancy and Windy built a home in Overland Park, KS where they lived and raised their family before moving to Bucyrus in 1992. Family was everything to Nancy. She worked very hard to provide a home where all her children and grandchildren could come back to for every holiday and special life moment.

 Nancy enjoyed making crafts and selling them at craft shows with her children. She also loved gardening, camping at the lake, and taking many trips to Branson. During the Vietnam War, Nancy helped manufacture the Mighty Mouse Rocket at the Sunflower Ammunition Plant in DeSoto, KS. She later worked in banking for Capitol Federal Savings Bank, and, at the same time, worked as a real estate agent. She then spent many years working for the Johnson County DMV before retiring, so that she could spend even more time with her family whom she loved so much.

 Nancy is survived by her sister: Barbara C Mettlen; her three children: Timothy A Gifford of Louisburg, KS, Christina R Kattau of Louisburg, KS, and Kimberly K Denny of Edgerton, KS; her eight grandchildren: Debbi, Toby, Kelsey, Austin, Ashley, Kyle, Nancy, Kolby; and her four great-grandchildren: Kayden, Kinsley, Kaprii, and Kolton.