Obituary for Nancy Beth Dailey (Gifford)
On April 10th beloved mother and friend, Nancy Dailey, passed away peacefully in her sleep due to complications from ALS.
Nancy Beth Dailey was born May 3, 1940 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to Mary Margaret (nee Bielenberg) and Fred Lincoln Gifford. Her life’s adventures began with multiple moves around the country due to her father’s military career.
Before she finished high school, her mother suggested she invite her pen pal to stay with them, which led her to become an exchange student, spending a year in Germany before starting college. In Germany she attended art school and developed fluency in the German language.
Nancy graduated from the University of Missouri in Columbia, June 9th 1964, with a Bachelor of Science in Education and a teaching certificate. She taught English at Chadwick, and would spend most of her career at the Ash Grove School district teaching art to all levels, working between 3 schools and two communities. She was beloved by her students, and was an exceptionally creative and encouraging teacher.
On May 20, 1961, Nancy married her college sweetheart, Jerry Neal Maddox, and after moving to Branson, her first daughter, Brenna, was born. After the death of her first husband, Nancy married James Michael Dailey on August 16th 1971, and soon another daughter, Cara, was born.
Nancy quietly lived a life of accomplishment and adventure. She traveled across the United States, to Germany, the Netherlands, and took a solo trip to Suriname to do research for her books. Her artwork was exhibited in multiple countries, and she won several awards for her miniature portraits. Nancy’s hobbies were too numerous to list, and she participated in several local groups, including Sleuths’ Ink and the 24th State Relic Recovery Club. Nancy was always up for adventure, whether ghost hunting, geocaching, metal detecting, or trying something new. She took up zip lining for her 70th birthday, and was in excellent health until ALS appeared.
Nancy and her husband Jim owned the Autumn Apple Art Gallery in downtown Springfield. Nancy’s artwork was exhibited internationally, and she won the Levantia White Boardman Memorial Prize for best miniature in 1971 and was invited to the Grand Prix de la Cote D’Azur in Cannes which opened in January 1972.
Nancy and her family opened their home to several exchange daughters over the years, and assisted many more families and students as volunteers with international exchange for a decade, promoting peace and understanding.
After retiring, she wrote and published three books, several short stories, and was actively writing until the time of her death. She would love to have people read and review her books. Chasing Caterpillars, The Life and Times of Maria Sybilla Merian; Jim a.k.a. the Wonder Dog; and Knadel’s Ghost are available to order through major booksellers online or at your local library.
Nancy is survived by daughter Brenna Waddell and grandson Caelan of Springfield; daughter Cara Dailey and son-in-law Moe Seki of Itasca, IL; several exchange daughters, including Inge (the Netherlands), Stefanie (Spain), Miwa (Japan), Christina (Denmark), Tanja (Germany), Marissa (Mexico), Öznur (Germany), and others; as well as countless friends, students, extended family, and her beloved Boston Terrier, Cocoa.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her two husbands.
Per Nancy’s wishes, instead of a traditional funeral, there will be a party to celebrate her life on Sunday, May 21st, 2023 at the Lake Springfield Boathouse from 6:30-9:30pm.
Permanent online condolences, stories and photos may be shared at www.hhlohmeyer.com
Nancy Beth Dailey was born May 3, 1940 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to Mary Margaret (nee Bielenberg) and Fred Lincoln Gifford. Her life’s adventures began with multiple moves around the country due to her father’s military career.
Before she finished high school, her mother suggested she invite her pen pal to stay with them, which led her to become an exchange student, spending a year in Germany before starting college. In Germany she attended art school and developed fluency in the German language.
Nancy graduated from the University of Missouri in Columbia, June 9th 1964, with a Bachelor of Science in Education and a teaching certificate. She taught English at Chadwick, and would spend most of her career at the Ash Grove School district teaching art to all levels, working between 3 schools and two communities. She was beloved by her students, and was an exceptionally creative and encouraging teacher.
On May 20, 1961, Nancy married her college sweetheart, Jerry Neal Maddox, and after moving to Branson, her first daughter, Brenna, was born. After the death of her first husband, Nancy married James Michael Dailey on August 16th 1971, and soon another daughter, Cara, was born.
Nancy quietly lived a life of accomplishment and adventure. She traveled across the United States, to Germany, the Netherlands, and took a solo trip to Suriname to do research for her books. Her artwork was exhibited in multiple countries, and she won several awards for her miniature portraits. Nancy’s hobbies were too numerous to list, and she participated in several local groups, including Sleuths’ Ink and the 24th State Relic Recovery Club. Nancy was always up for adventure, whether ghost hunting, geocaching, metal detecting, or trying something new. She took up zip lining for her 70th birthday, and was in excellent health until ALS appeared.
Nancy and her husband Jim owned the Autumn Apple Art Gallery in downtown Springfield. Nancy’s artwork was exhibited internationally, and she won the Levantia White Boardman Memorial Prize for best miniature in 1971 and was invited to the Grand Prix de la Cote D’Azur in Cannes which opened in January 1972.
Nancy and her family opened their home to several exchange daughters over the years, and assisted many more families and students as volunteers with international exchange for a decade, promoting peace and understanding.
After retiring, she wrote and published three books, several short stories, and was actively writing until the time of her death. She would love to have people read and review her books. Chasing Caterpillars, The Life and Times of Maria Sybilla Merian; Jim a.k.a. the Wonder Dog; and Knadel’s Ghost are available to order through major booksellers online or at your local library.
Nancy is survived by daughter Brenna Waddell and grandson Caelan of Springfield; daughter Cara Dailey and son-in-law Moe Seki of Itasca, IL; several exchange daughters, including Inge (the Netherlands), Stefanie (Spain), Miwa (Japan), Christina (Denmark), Tanja (Germany), Marissa (Mexico), Öznur (Germany), and others; as well as countless friends, students, extended family, and her beloved Boston Terrier, Cocoa.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her two husbands.
Per Nancy’s wishes, instead of a traditional funeral, there will be a party to celebrate her life on Sunday, May 21st, 2023 at the Lake Springfield Boathouse from 6:30-9:30pm.
Permanent online condolences, stories and photos may be shared at www.hhlohmeyer.com