Nancy was born and reared in Kentucky, where she learned the finer arts of both Southern living and small town grace. Married at the ripe old age of 25, she moved first to Maryland, then to Texas in 1990. She’s now a Dallas Cowboys fan, owns a couple of pairs of boots, and can’t imagine calling anywhere else home.

Mom to A.J. (Andrew) and Benjamin, she became a single mother at age 48, sailing into uncharted territory whenever her husband-best friend-boys’ daddy died suddenly in July 2011. Her world forever changed that day. Good thing God doesn’t mind carrying us during the long dark days of grief.

In the midst of the turmoil and unimagined journey in which she found herself, Nancy reached out to the local newspaper, asking to continue the outdoor column her late husband had been writing. They surprisingly agreed—and she’s been writing weekly for the Wichita Falls Time Record News since September of 2011. She jokingly calls it “The Adventures of an Unexpected Outdoor Woman.”

Writing, it seems, is her passion. She finally found her true calling. At the age of 48.

Go figure. God most definitely has a sense of humor.

Widowhood isn’t for wimps. Neither is raising two sons without a dad. But God’s grace is sufficient. He meets you wherever you are. He is more than able to create beauty from ashes.

Today, her boys are thriving. Her family of three is moving forward.

Call her a widow, single mom, only parent, or all of the above—her most important labels are Jesus girl and mom to A.J. and Ben.