Nancy Lee Neuman

Nancy Neuman was a woman of conviction and vigor who loved her family deeply and gave to everyone generously. Nancy was born at a time when the United States was heavily invested in the war in Europe, and the Allied Forces were nearing a long-awaited victory. While men sacrificed abroad, women worked valiantly at home to assist the war effort and stabilize the country. They became competent in business and manufacturing and confident in their ability to contribute to the American workforce, forever changing the social landscape. Also, television was becoming more available to the public, and a digital computer, weighing 30 tons and standing two stories high, was first built. With all these changes came one more for the Edward and Dorothy (Schillo) Bethke family. Their dear daughter Nancy was born on January 26, 1944 in Grand Haven, Michigan. With her father working for Bastian Blessing as a tool and die maker, Nancy 's mother remained at home to raise their family and care for Nancy who was often sick with asthma and allergies. Gratefully, Nancy 's grandmother, Rose Schillo, was also close at hand to extend the love and care of family. During her childhood, Nancy spent a great deal of time with her grandmother. She especially liked going to Grandma's house to bake cookies, a skill she retained into adulthood. For all the fun they enjoyed, Grandma was no push-over. One day, Nancy brought a stray kitten home in her backpack, saying the kitten "followed her". As pleading as Nancy may have been, the kitten did not stay. Nancy would have to find her amusement elsewhere. And she did. Nancy made the best of west Michigan 's winters and summers. She skated on the bayous in winter and made a splash at swimming parties all summer long. Interestingly, Nancy took up shooting and joined the local rifle club. A favorite pastime was going to the dump with her friends to shoot rats! Nancy graduated from Grand Haven High School in 1962, and was ready for adventure. She and a girlfriend went to New York City in her VW Beetle and had a great time. But at one point they found themselves lost in a rough part of town and were glad to come to the notice of the police who escorted them safely out. Another adventure awaited Nancy when she met her future husband, Ray Neuman. They first met at Dog & Suds, but it was when Nancy and her friends were headed for an espresso bar one day that she really got to know his impetuousness. Ray and his friends just jumped into the girls' car. The next day, he tried to call Nancy, but learned she was at the county fair. Not to be deterred, Ray went to the fair and called her name over the loud speaker. At the time, Nancy didn't hear him call for her, but she did hear from him the next day when Ray called her at home. They began dating, and over the next two years Nancy 's family also had a chance to get to know Ray. If at first her parents discouraged the relationship because Ray was seven years older than Nancy, they now fully accepted Ray as the man who would make their daughter happy. Nancy and Ray were married in 1965 and were blessed with their first child, Rae Lynn. Nancy and Ray wished to add to their family through adoption. When they learned that it could take up to five years to adopt a child within the United States, they sought international adoption. Nancy and Ray loved their daughter, Jody, while she was still in Korea. So when they learned that she was having some trouble in the orphanage, Nancy tenaciously dogged the FBI to help them push through the adoption process. Their dear son, Kelly, came to them from Vietnam. Again, Nancy and Ray pursued justice in the process. When they received bills for services not provided, Nancy launched a crusade on local TV to draw public attention to the discrepancies. This was just another indication that Nancy would do anything for her children. She was active in their lives as a Brownie and Girl Scout leader, she experimented in cooking great meals, and she always made the holidays festive. Nancy filled their home with country painting, stained glass, woven baskets, and quilts. She was good enough to teach others her quilting skills. As if this wasn't enough, Nancy was also the world's greatest "camper mom". For 20 years, the family camped every summer, mostly in Michigan. Nancy often spent days packing so everything would fit just right...even in a Pinto! Nancy used her flair for cooking at Grand Valley State University where she worked as a cook and cashier. Nancy 's mothering skills also came out on the job where everyone adopted her as "mom". One fraternity even wanted Nancy to be their house mother, but she was too busy with her own home. Yet Nancy was always available to meet people's needs. She helped out wherever she could and even took to carrying extra money in her pocket so that she could give to someone who needed it more than she. Nancy was dearly loved and she loved dearly. She lived for her grandchildren and heaped on them the care and attention she had given her children. On Nancy and Ray's 40th wedding anniversary, their children gave back by sending them on an Alaskan cruise. It turned out to be the greatest trip ever! Sadly, just a short time after the cruise, Nancy was diagnosed with cancer. She battled the disease with enormous courage, right up to the day God called her to her eternal home, May 21, 2006.