Norma Faye “Nance” Eslinger passed on Sunday, May23rd just 10 days before her 91st birthday. She was born June 2, 1930 in Ozark county to Vada and Albert Nance. She was the youngest of their 8 children and the last surviving. She graduated high school in 1948 Gainesville, Mo. Education was important to her and she encouraged all her children to attend college and was willing to make sacrifices for that goal.
After high school she went to Springfield and later to Kansas City where she worked for the phone company. She returned to marry Edward Eslinger and settled into farm life in Almartha, Mo. She continued to live on that farm until her passing. The marriage produced 5 children, Cathy, Karen, David, Steve and Mark; 8 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren, and 1 great great grandchild.
She drove the first school “bus” for Romance Grade School, which was actually the family vehicle with a school bus sign attached but transported all the neighbors children. She had large vegetable gardens and sold many bushels of corn. She helped raise commercial turkeys and chickens in their two broiler houses and also sold eggs and dressed turkeys for sale to local restaurants and neighbors. In later years she kept a few cattle and managed her land.
She loved to cook and was famous in the area for her desserts and homemade rolls. No one ever left hungry from her house. She could put a meal on the table with little to no notice.
She kept current with local and national news. She had strong beliefs and was not hesitant to share her feelings. She didn’t much care for doctors and took little to no medication her entire life. She liked to dress in fashion and rarely left home without doing her hair, and “fixing up”.
She surrounded her home with beautiful flowers. She knew how to handle a gun and was not hesitant to kill a “varmit” in her garden or yard.
She was a Christian and had a strong faith is God. One of her greatest joys was visits from her family.
A Graveside memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at the Jackson Cemetery near Romance, MO. The family asks for memorial contributions to be made to Jackson Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Clinkingbeard Funeral Home, Gainesville, MO.
