Funeral Services for Nancy J. Galvin, 71, of Aurelia will be held at the St. Paul Lutheran Church, Aurelia on Saturday, March 29, 2025 at 10:30 AM.  Visitation with the family present will be on Friday, March 28, from 4 – 7 PM at the church. Burial will be at the Pleasant Hill cemetery.

Services will be live streamed at:

https://www.youtube.com/live/bCFoOIHW4i0?si=5jyQ5w8DA4dmf-I4

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in memory of Nancy to the following organizations:

• Aurelia Fire Department, P.O. Box 727, Aurelia, Iowa 51005
• St. Paul Lutheran Church, Ladies Aid, P.O. Box 278, Aurelia, IA 51005
• National Arthritis Foundation, 1355 Peachtree St NE Suite 600, Atlanta, GA 30309

Nancy Jean Stief was born July 1, 1953, in Cherokee, Iowa to Erma Matilda Laura (Westphal) and Willard Herbert Stief. She grew up on a farm north of Aurelia with her sisters Marlene and Sharon, and brother Dean. She was baptized July 12, 1953, and confirmed May 28, 1967, at the Immanual Lutheran Church in Afton Township.

Nancy graduated from Aurelia High School in 1971. She was united in marriage to her high school sweetheart, Jack Ray Galvin, on October 14, 1972, at the Immanual Lutheran Church. They were the last couple to be married in this small, beautiful, rural church.

Together Nancy and Jack raised three sons Jeremy, Neil, and Josh. They attended more baseball, basketball, and football games than they could count. A highlight of their summers was hosting baseball players from around the world for the CABA baseball tournament hosted for several years in Aurelia.

A woman of strong faith, Nancy was a loyal member of the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Aurelia, Iowa. She was active in Ladies Aid, serving as president for four years. She taught Sunday School, LYF leader, Vacation Bible School leader, and more. Her involvement extended beyond church including Pork Producers, President of Porkettes, supporting her kids and their 4-H activities and volunteering to help others whenever there was a need.

Nancy was born to be a grandma and lived for her grandkids. Hosting ‘Camp Farm’ for several of the grandkids when they were young. Activities included tie-dying t-shirts and the kitchen wall (oops…), swimming lessons and buying out all the fun dip at the pool house, manicures and pedicures, crafts, riding the lawnmower, visiting the strawberry patch, picking produce out of the garden, and hosting Great Grandpa Charlie, Great Grandma Tena Mae, and Great Aunt Sharon for dinner. Nancy delighted in the magic of Christmas and was always very excited about watching her large family open presents and join in a meal together.

Before she was coined grandma, mom, wife – she was sister. The middle of three girls – Nancy was the peacekeeper of her older sister Martz and her younger sister Sharon. If the three were free – they were inseparable. Found shopping, baking, making intricate Christmas candies, producing 100s of confirmation and graduation mints, and planning birthday parties for their nephews.

When Nancy wasn’t attending her grandkids activities – she could be found working on her killer tan by riding the lawnmower, planting flowers, tending to her large garden, and growing and canning more produce than imaginable. Grandma Nancy was famous for her bars, cucumber pasta salad, twice baked potatoes, and classic farm dinners with a side of creamed sweet corn.

A proud farmer’s wife for more than 50 years, Nancy’s first job was as a medical lab tech at the Buena Vista Clinic for doctors Hanson and Prescott in Storm Lake, Iowa. She stayed home with her young boys, and when they were old enough for school Nancy was hired as an assistant teacher at the new Mustard Seed Preschool at the United Methodist Church in Aurelia, Iowa. She was later the head teacher. The last 24 years of her career were spent as a paraeducator at the Aurelia Community School District. Retiring in 2014, her patience, positivity, caring, and true passion for children was evident in every student she influenced. Many went on to remember Nancy as a teacher who made a significant difference in their life.

Nancy passed away peacefully at her home, surrounded by her family, on March 25, 2025.

She was proceeded in death by her parents Willard and Erma Stief, her mother and father-in-law Charles and Tena Mae Galvin, maternal grandparents Alfred and Minnie Stief, paternal grandparents Henry and Clara Westphal. Her brother Dean and her sister Marlene.

Nancy is survived by her husband Jack. Three sons and their families. Jeremy and Jenn, and their children Annie, Lillie, and Ben Galvin (Ames, Iowa). Neil and Tammy Lincicum (girlfriend) with his son’s Sam and Eli Galvin and her son Matt Lincicum (DeForest, Wisconsin). Josh and Tiffany, and their children Jay, Anthony, Mya, Addison Raymond, and Mason Raymond (Cedar Falls, Iowa). Two family friends, Maranda Smith Galvin and Amy Mauer Galvin. One sister, Sharon Stief (Cherokee, Iowa). Brothers- and sisters-in-law Mike and Karen Galvin (Galva, Iowa), Cindy and Larry Jerge (Spirit Lake, Iowa), Ted and Sonia Galvin (Cherokee, Iowa). Several nieces and nephews.