Nancy Ramsey
1942-2018
Nancy Ramsey passed away peacefully on December 31, 2018 (New Year’s Eve) due to complications of pneumonia at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.
Nancy Jane Watt Ramsey, 76, was born in Fargo, North Dakota to Alex and Lois Watt and grew up on the family farm near Chaffee, North Dakota. She enjoyed the wonderful experience of having two sisters, Margery and Cynthia, and a large extended family with many close aunts, uncles and cousins nearby along with a close knit and caring community. She attended elementary and high school in Chaffee, graduating in 1961.
She then attended NDSU where she met and dated her future husband, Neil Ramsey, and was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. She graduated from NDSU with a B.S. degree in Speech Pathology. Neil and Nancy fulfilled their destiny to be married on June 19, 1965, shortly after her college graduation in the Westminster Presbyterian church in Casselton, North Dakota.
After their wedding, she and Neil moved to Cass Lake, Minnesota in 1965. She was hired by the Walker, Cass Lake, and Blackduck School Districts to become the first Speech Pathologist in the history of those schools. She remained as the Speech Pathologist for those communities providing innovative services to children with speech/language issues for 34 years until her retirement in 1999. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in June of 2015.
Nancy was an extraordinarily social and community based individual, being a charter member of the Lake Country Lions Club and the Ladies of the Lake Book Club. She was also instrumental in raising and securing funding to enable the creation of the Dreamcatchers Park in Cass Lake.
As a Lion member she received the honor of being the Director of the Minnesota Board of Lion Sight Conservation. Additionally, Nancy has been honored for her exceptional community service by receiving the Melvin Jones Fellow Award and the Helen Keller Sight Award.
Nancy enjoyed her retirement years traveling, enjoying her lake, and talking with her beloved sisters, family, and friends. Furthermore, she loved north woods life on Little Wolf Lake with the peace and tranquility that accompanied her favorite place to be. She was fascinated with the local wildlife, particularly the sounds of the loons and bald eagles in the local area.
Nancy was preceded in death by her parents and is survived by her husband, Neil Ramsey (Cass Lake); children: Andrew Ramsey (Cass Lake), and Kate Anthony (Erik) (East Grand Forks); granddaughter, Allison Ramsey (Cass Lake); and her two sisters: Margery Layton (Wayne) (Boise, Idaho); and Cynthia Schatzke (Casselton, North Dakora); and many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Lions Sight Conservation.
Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. with a prayer service at 6 p.m., Monday, January 7 at Cease Family Funeral Home in Bemidji. Visitation will continue from 10-11 a.m., followed by a memorial services at 11 a.m. Tuesday, January 8, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cass Lake. Pastor Amanda Kossow will officiate. Condolences may be left at ceasefuneralhome.com.