Marianna "Nancy" (Crookston) Israelsen, 93, of North Logan, peacefully joined her sweetheart, Lyle, while surrounded by her family, on Wednesday, 20 June 2018 at her home.
Nancy was born in Logan, Utah, on Sunday, 17 August 1924 to Robert Burns "Coach" and Glenna (Ballantyne) Crookston. She moved with her family to a small fruit and chicken farm in North Logan when she was just two. With the exception of a few years during World War II, North Logan was always Nancy's home. For her, growing up there was paradise, with its variety of fruit trees and animals--horses to ride, kittens and puppies to love--and thousands of eggs to gather.
Nancy appreciated the many talents of her mother, from her ability to create beauty from ordinary things, her gifts of painting, music, literature, and graciousness, all of which Nancy inherited and cultivated in herself. From her father, Nancy learned discipline as she watched him as athlete and coach, and gentleness and kindness, as she watched him tenderly nurture and love his wife.
Nancy always had a passion for learning, and excelled at North Logan Elementary School, a four-room school consisting of eight grades. She began high school at South Cache in Hyrum; then transferred her Junior year, to Logan High, where her father was the coach. At Logan High School, Nancy became involved in many activities--drama, rifle team and student body offices.
It wasn't long before Lyle Eilert Israelsen, who lived just two doors down from the Crookstons, noticed the dark-haired beauty, staked his claim and began courting Nancy. However, their plans were interrupted when Pearl Harbor was bombed and Lyle enlisted in the Navy while Nancy was an Art major at USAC. They determined to wait until after the war to be married and continued their courtship through letters.
Nancy worked as resident artist and editor for the yearbook and was a rifle-team sharpshooter. She recalled riding her horse to school and tether it at the campus's horse barn.
Before long, Lyle reported that he had a hard time concentrating on flying when he received a call from Nancy saying she felt they should be married before he was shipped overseas. Through a series of miracles, Lyle was able to get leave and, on Monday, 9 October 1944, the couple was married in the Logan LDS Temple.
They moved to Seattle where Lyle was stationed, but their time together was soon interrupted when Lyle narrowly escaped death in a terrible plane crash from which he spent the next two years convalescing. Nancy weathered this difficult storm and, seven months after his accident, their twins, Doug and Dwight were born.
Over the next twenty-six years, ten more children were joyfully welcomed by Lyle and Nancy.
Nancy's fascination with books infused their home with a rich legacy of learning. Between chores, children would be strewn across couches, cuddled in corners or in front of the fireplace and absorbed in books. Nancy always found a way to stretch a dollar in order to obtain yet another great book for their library.
Nancy's extraordinary mothering was honored in 1990, when she was named a finalist in the Utah Mother of the Year contest. She saw the world as a palate, and everything to Nancy was fair game to become a work of art, from the smallest seed or twig to a gigantic Bowery ceiling. She left a trail of beauty everywhere she went. Despite the demands of raising twelve children, Nancy always found time for her art. She co-founded and painted for the famous, North Logan Pumpkin Walk throughout the duration of her life. And, at age 58, Nancy also decided to return to Utah State University (USU) to further her Art studies.
At age 90, Nancy celebrated her birthday with an Art show that included hundreds of works, including illustrated children's books, etched glass doors, oil and watercolor paintings, pencil drawings, logo designs, wood carving, primary visual aids, murals, needlework; and sketches. She has also been a noted illustrator and author of several books, including the widely-known, Israelsen Zoo. More recently, Nancy participated in publishing a four-hundred-page volume entitled, "All My Love, Lyle", which was a compilation of her sweetheart, Lyle's wartime love letters.
Nancy's artistry was not limited to canvas and glass; it could also be seen in her expansive Iris garden.
For over twenty-five years, Nancy served as her Ward's Primary Chorister. She is remembered by hundreds for her creative visual aids and unique songs.
Nancy taught her own children the value of work and play; also, to appreciate the beauty of nature. Not only did the family work together, gardening, canning, sewing, cleaning, and cooking, they took every opportunity for adventure by going camping, hunting, fishing, hiking, and horseback riding. They also took regular, fifty-mile expeditions into the Wind River wilderness.
Following Lyle's death in 2010, Nancy continued to lead the family with grace and direction, as she considered her posterity her greatest legacy.
Left to cherish her memory are Nancy's children, Dwight, Doug, Jeanne Harrison, Laurie Ballam, Mark, Ned, John, Eve Jones, Lila Geddes, Richard, James; and Bonnie Erickson; along with fifty-eight grandchildren, one hundred thirty-two great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.
Friends may call from 6 to 8 P.M., on Friday, 29 June 2018 at the Allen-Hall Mortuary of North Logan, 420 East 1800 North and, again, from 8:30 to 9:30 A.M., on Saturday, 30 June in the Green Canyon Stake Center, 400 East 1800 North, North Logan, where funeral services will begin at 10 A.M., followed by interment in the Logan City Cemetery.
Nancy was born in Logan, Utah, on Sunday, 17 August 1924 to Robert Burns "Coach" and Glenna (Ballantyne) Crookston. She moved with her family to a small fruit and chicken farm in North Logan when she was just two. With the exception of a few years during World War II, North Logan was always Nancy's home. For her, growing up there was paradise, with its variety of fruit trees and animals--horses to ride, kittens and puppies to love--and thousands of eggs to gather.
Nancy appreciated the many talents of her mother, from her ability to create beauty from ordinary things, her gifts of painting, music, literature, and graciousness, all of which Nancy inherited and cultivated in herself. From her father, Nancy learned discipline as she watched him as athlete and coach, and gentleness and kindness, as she watched him tenderly nurture and love his wife.
Nancy always had a passion for learning, and excelled at North Logan Elementary School, a four-room school consisting of eight grades. She began high school at South Cache in Hyrum; then transferred her Junior year, to Logan High, where her father was the coach. At Logan High School, Nancy became involved in many activities--drama, rifle team and student body offices.
It wasn't long before Lyle Eilert Israelsen, who lived just two doors down from the Crookstons, noticed the dark-haired beauty, staked his claim and began courting Nancy. However, their plans were interrupted when Pearl Harbor was bombed and Lyle enlisted in the Navy while Nancy was an Art major at USAC. They determined to wait until after the war to be married and continued their courtship through letters.
Nancy worked as resident artist and editor for the yearbook and was a rifle-team sharpshooter. She recalled riding her horse to school and tether it at the campus's horse barn.
Before long, Lyle reported that he had a hard time concentrating on flying when he received a call from Nancy saying she felt they should be married before he was shipped overseas. Through a series of miracles, Lyle was able to get leave and, on Monday, 9 October 1944, the couple was married in the Logan LDS Temple.
They moved to Seattle where Lyle was stationed, but their time together was soon interrupted when Lyle narrowly escaped death in a terrible plane crash from which he spent the next two years convalescing. Nancy weathered this difficult storm and, seven months after his accident, their twins, Doug and Dwight were born.
Over the next twenty-six years, ten more children were joyfully welcomed by Lyle and Nancy.
Nancy's fascination with books infused their home with a rich legacy of learning. Between chores, children would be strewn across couches, cuddled in corners or in front of the fireplace and absorbed in books. Nancy always found a way to stretch a dollar in order to obtain yet another great book for their library.
Nancy's extraordinary mothering was honored in 1990, when she was named a finalist in the Utah Mother of the Year contest. She saw the world as a palate, and everything to Nancy was fair game to become a work of art, from the smallest seed or twig to a gigantic Bowery ceiling. She left a trail of beauty everywhere she went. Despite the demands of raising twelve children, Nancy always found time for her art. She co-founded and painted for the famous, North Logan Pumpkin Walk throughout the duration of her life. And, at age 58, Nancy also decided to return to Utah State University (USU) to further her Art studies.
At age 90, Nancy celebrated her birthday with an Art show that included hundreds of works, including illustrated children's books, etched glass doors, oil and watercolor paintings, pencil drawings, logo designs, wood carving, primary visual aids, murals, needlework; and sketches. She has also been a noted illustrator and author of several books, including the widely-known, Israelsen Zoo. More recently, Nancy participated in publishing a four-hundred-page volume entitled, "All My Love, Lyle", which was a compilation of her sweetheart, Lyle's wartime love letters.
Nancy's artistry was not limited to canvas and glass; it could also be seen in her expansive Iris garden.
For over twenty-five years, Nancy served as her Ward's Primary Chorister. She is remembered by hundreds for her creative visual aids and unique songs.
Nancy taught her own children the value of work and play; also, to appreciate the beauty of nature. Not only did the family work together, gardening, canning, sewing, cleaning, and cooking, they took every opportunity for adventure by going camping, hunting, fishing, hiking, and horseback riding. They also took regular, fifty-mile expeditions into the Wind River wilderness.
Following Lyle's death in 2010, Nancy continued to lead the family with grace and direction, as she considered her posterity her greatest legacy.
Left to cherish her memory are Nancy's children, Dwight, Doug, Jeanne Harrison, Laurie Ballam, Mark, Ned, John, Eve Jones, Lila Geddes, Richard, James; and Bonnie Erickson; along with fifty-eight grandchildren, one hundred thirty-two great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.
Friends may call from 6 to 8 P.M., on Friday, 29 June 2018 at the Allen-Hall Mortuary of North Logan, 420 East 1800 North and, again, from 8:30 to 9:30 A.M., on Saturday, 30 June in the Green Canyon Stake Center, 400 East 1800 North, North Logan, where funeral services will begin at 10 A.M., followed by interment in the Logan City Cemetery.
Marianna "Nancy" (Crookston) Israelsen, 93, of North Logan, peacefully joined her sweetheart, Lyle, while surrounded by her family, on Wednesday, 20 June 2018 at her home.
Nancy was born in Logan, Utah, on Sunday, 17 August 1924 to Robert Burns "Coach" and Glenna (Ballantyne) Crookston. She moved with her family to a small fruit and chicken farm in North Logan when she was just two. With the exception of a few years during World War II, North Logan was always Nancy's home. For her, growing up there was paradise, with its variety of fruit trees and animals--horses to ride, kittens and puppies to love--and thousands of eggs to gather.
Nancy appreciated the many talents of her mother, from her ability to create beauty from ordinary things, her gifts of painting, music, literature, and graciousness, all of which Nancy inherited and cultivated in herself. From her father, Nancy learned discipline as she watched him as athlete and coach, and gentleness and kindness, as she watched him tenderly nurture and love his wife.
Nancy always had a passion for learning, and excelled at North Logan Elementary School, a four-room school consisting of eight grades. She began high school at South Cache in Hyrum; then transferred her Junior year, to Logan High, where her father was the coach. At Logan High School, Nancy became involved in many activities--drama, rifle team and student body offices.
It wasn't long before Lyle Eilert Israelsen, who lived just two doors down from the Crookstons, noticed the dark-haired beauty, staked his claim and began courting Nancy. However, their plans were interrupted when Pearl Harbor was bombed and Lyle enlisted in the Navy while Nancy was an Art major at USAC. They determined to wait until after the war to be married and continued their courtship through letters.
Nancy worked as resident artist and editor for the yearbook and was a rifle-team sharpshooter. She recalled riding her horse to school and tether it at the campus's horse barn.
Before long, Lyle reported that he had a hard time concentrating on flying when he received a call from Nancy saying she felt they should be married before he was shipped overseas. Through a series of miracles, Lyle was able to get leave and, on Monday, 9 October 1944, the couple was married in the Logan LDS Temple.
They moved to Seattle where Lyle was stationed, but their time together was soon interrupted when Lyle narrowly escaped death in a terrible plane crash from which he spent the next two years convalescing. Nancy weathered this difficult storm and, seven months after his accident, their twins, Doug and Dwight were born.
Over the next twenty-six years, ten more children were joyfully welcomed by Lyle and Nancy.
Nancy's fascination with books infused their home with a rich legacy of learning. Between chores, children would be strewn across couches, cuddled in corners or in front of the fireplace and absorbed in books. Nancy always found a way to stretch a dollar in order to obtain yet another great book for their library.
Nancy's extraordinary mothering was honored in 1990, when she was named a finalist in the Utah Mother of the Year contest. She saw the world as a palate, and everything to Nancy was fair game to become a work of art, from the smallest seed or twig to a gigantic Bowery ceiling. She left a trail of beauty everywhere she went. Despite the demands of raising twelve children, Nancy always found time for her art. She co-founded and painted for the famous, North Logan Pumpkin Walk throughout the duration of her life. And, at age 58, Nancy also decided to return to Utah State University (USU) to further her Art studies.
At age 90, Nancy celebrated her birthday with an Art show that included hundreds of works, including illustrated children's books, etched glass doors, oil and watercolor paintings, pencil drawings, logo designs, wood carving, primary visual aids, murals, needlework; and sketches. She has also been a noted illustrator and author of several books, including the widely-known, Israelsen Zoo. More recently, Nancy participated in publishing a four-hundred-page volume entitled, "All My Love, Lyle", which was a compilation of her sweetheart, Lyle's wartime love letters.
Nancy's artistry was not limited to canvas and glass; it could also be seen in her expansive Iris garden.
For over twenty-five years, Nancy served as her Ward's Primary Chorister. She is remembered by hundreds for her creative visual aids and unique songs.
Nancy taught her own children the value of work and play; also, to appreciate the beauty of nature. Not only did the family work together, gardening, canning, sewing, cleaning, and cooking, they took every opportunity for adventure by going camping, hunting, fishing, hiking, and horseback riding. They also took regular, fifty-mile expeditions into the Wind River wilderness.
Following Lyle's death in 2010, Nancy continued to lead the family with grace and direction, as she considered her posterity her greatest legacy.
Left to cherish her memory are Nancy's children, Dwight, Doug, Jeanne Harrison, Laurie Ballam, Mark, Ned, John, Eve Jones, Lila Geddes, Richard, James; and Bonnie Erickson; along with fifty-eight grandchildren, one hundred thirty-two great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.
Friends may call from 6 to 8 P.M., on Friday, 29 June 2018 at the Allen-Hall Mortuary of North Logan, 420 East 1800 North and, again, from 8:30 to 9:30 A.M., on Saturday, 30 June in the Green Canyon Stake Center, 400 East 1800 North, North Logan, where funeral services will begin at 10 A.M., followed by interment in the Logan City Cemetery.
Nancy was born in Logan, Utah, on Sunday, 17 August 1924 to Robert Burns "Coach" and Glenna (Ballantyne) Crookston. She moved with her family to a small fruit and chicken farm in North Logan when she was just two. With the exception of a few years during World War II, North Logan was always Nancy's home. For her, growing up there was paradise, with its variety of fruit trees and animals--horses to ride, kittens and puppies to love--and thousands of eggs to gather.
Nancy appreciated the many talents of her mother, from her ability to create beauty from ordinary things, her gifts of painting, music, literature, and graciousness, all of which Nancy inherited and cultivated in herself. From her father, Nancy learned discipline as she watched him as athlete and coach, and gentleness and kindness, as she watched him tenderly nurture and love his wife.
Nancy always had a passion for learning, and excelled at North Logan Elementary School, a four-room school consisting of eight grades. She began high school at South Cache in Hyrum; then transferred her Junior year, to Logan High, where her father was the coach. At Logan High School, Nancy became involved in many activities--drama, rifle team and student body offices.
It wasn't long before Lyle Eilert Israelsen, who lived just two doors down from the Crookstons, noticed the dark-haired beauty, staked his claim and began courting Nancy. However, their plans were interrupted when Pearl Harbor was bombed and Lyle enlisted in the Navy while Nancy was an Art major at USAC. They determined to wait until after the war to be married and continued their courtship through letters.
Nancy worked as resident artist and editor for the yearbook and was a rifle-team sharpshooter. She recalled riding her horse to school and tether it at the campus's horse barn.
Before long, Lyle reported that he had a hard time concentrating on flying when he received a call from Nancy saying she felt they should be married before he was shipped overseas. Through a series of miracles, Lyle was able to get leave and, on Monday, 9 October 1944, the couple was married in the Logan LDS Temple.
They moved to Seattle where Lyle was stationed, but their time together was soon interrupted when Lyle narrowly escaped death in a terrible plane crash from which he spent the next two years convalescing. Nancy weathered this difficult storm and, seven months after his accident, their twins, Doug and Dwight were born.
Over the next twenty-six years, ten more children were joyfully welcomed by Lyle and Nancy.
Nancy's fascination with books infused their home with a rich legacy of learning. Between chores, children would be strewn across couches, cuddled in corners or in front of the fireplace and absorbed in books. Nancy always found a way to stretch a dollar in order to obtain yet another great book for their library.
Nancy's extraordinary mothering was honored in 1990, when she was named a finalist in the Utah Mother of the Year contest. She saw the world as a palate, and everything to Nancy was fair game to become a work of art, from the smallest seed or twig to a gigantic Bowery ceiling. She left a trail of beauty everywhere she went. Despite the demands of raising twelve children, Nancy always found time for her art. She co-founded and painted for the famous, North Logan Pumpkin Walk throughout the duration of her life. And, at age 58, Nancy also decided to return to Utah State University (USU) to further her Art studies.
At age 90, Nancy celebrated her birthday with an Art show that included hundreds of works, including illustrated children's books, etched glass doors, oil and watercolor paintings, pencil drawings, logo designs, wood carving, primary visual aids, murals, needlework; and sketches. She has also been a noted illustrator and author of several books, including the widely-known, Israelsen Zoo. More recently, Nancy participated in publishing a four-hundred-page volume entitled, "All My Love, Lyle", which was a compilation of her sweetheart, Lyle's wartime love letters.
Nancy's artistry was not limited to canvas and glass; it could also be seen in her expansive Iris garden.
For over twenty-five years, Nancy served as her Ward's Primary Chorister. She is remembered by hundreds for her creative visual aids and unique songs.
Nancy taught her own children the value of work and play; also, to appreciate the beauty of nature. Not only did the family work together, gardening, canning, sewing, cleaning, and cooking, they took every opportunity for adventure by going camping, hunting, fishing, hiking, and horseback riding. They also took regular, fifty-mile expeditions into the Wind River wilderness.
Following Lyle's death in 2010, Nancy continued to lead the family with grace and direction, as she considered her posterity her greatest legacy.
Left to cherish her memory are Nancy's children, Dwight, Doug, Jeanne Harrison, Laurie Ballam, Mark, Ned, John, Eve Jones, Lila Geddes, Richard, James; and Bonnie Erickson; along with fifty-eight grandchildren, one hundred thirty-two great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.
Friends may call from 6 to 8 P.M., on Friday, 29 June 2018 at the Allen-Hall Mortuary of North Logan, 420 East 1800 North and, again, from 8:30 to 9:30 A.M., on Saturday, 30 June in the Green Canyon Stake Center, 400 East 1800 North, North Logan, where funeral services will begin at 10 A.M., followed by interment in the Logan City Cemetery.
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