Nancy Alice Church

Nancy Alice Church, 86, of Delaware, went to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on Saturday evening, September 30, 2023. She suffered a heart attack two weeks prior. After a stay at Riverside Hospital, she was able to come home and be surrounded by her loving family as she passed into the arms of Jesus a week later. Nancy was born on June 2, 1937, to James and Lulu Grace (Laird) Sidenstricker in Marion, Ohio. She graduated from Harding High School in 1955 and married Richard Austin Church on July 23, 1955, at Trinity Baptist Church in Marion. They went on to have eight children, spanning 20 years. They moved from Marion County to Delaware County in 1965, after they purchased a farm and built their house. During those farming years, she spent many hours in the car running for the farm. She had two sick children and spent many hours in Children’s Hospital while balancing home, farm, and mothering. In 1979, Richard quit farming due to health reasons and started Oxford Automotive at their farm. Nancy took on bookkeeping, and various other responsibilities as they grew their business together over the years.  She was a city girl turned farm wife turned small-business owner’s wife who dedicated her whole heart and life to loving and serving her husband, children, and home. She will be remembered for her love of God’s word, her love of and commitment to her family, her love of hospitality and many wonderful meals served over the years, her listening ear, her beautiful smile, her sense of humor and quick wit, her reminders to her family that she was praying for them, her love of music, her love of grammar and correcting others’ grammar, and organizational prowess.

She is preceded in death by her parents; in-laws (Austin & Maude Church); and son Johnny Church (1964). Left to cherish her memory is her loving husband of 68 years, Richard Church; children Lynn Karbowski, Stephanie (James) Stover, Melinda (Dave) Clendineng, Amy (Kurt) Knoll, David (Daun) Church, James (Rachel) Church, Ruth (Adam) Young; 32 grandchildren; 41 great-grandchildren; sister Rosemary (Bob) Cox; sisters-in-law Kay Mahaffey, Jean (Vince) Kopfstein; brother-in-law Charles (Karen) Church.

Calling hours and funeral service will be held on Friday, October 6, 2023, at Calvary Bible Baptist Church, 1419 Linn-Hipsher Rd, Marion, OH. Calling hours will begin at 10:00 am.  The funeral service will take place at 12:00 pm. The graveside service will follow at Chapel Heights Memory Gardens in Marion.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed towards the mission fund at Calvary Bible Baptist Church or to Capital City Hospice. Memories and condolences may be expressed at Edwards Funeral Service Hughes Allen Chapel      (www.efs-hughesallen.com)