Nancy Marie Euritt

Nancy Marie Euritt passed away in early March of 2020, in her own home in Gladstone Missouri. She was the last of four children, who grew up during the Depression, in an old house that ended up being located in a pretty ritzy section of Johnson County. By the 1970’s, it stood out as the worst house in the neighborhood, with a dirt floor in the garage and a home-built tornado shelter, that was damp and stunk so badly that you’d rather take your chances outside. After the kids grew up and moved out, Grandma Hester lived there with a German Shepard dog named Sarge, who would climb a five foot chain link fence, and run wild in the neighborhood.

There was a chicken coop on the property, that got rebuilt as a small house, and no shortage of stories about the old days. Things like people lining up with flapping towels, in order to herd dozens of giant flies out of the house, and stories about hot and cold spells that were bad enough to scare a kid out of a years growth.

Nancy grew up with a thing for cats, and as she got older she kept acquiring more and more cats, up until she had four of ’em living in her house, and a wild cat outside. Of course all good cats must come to an end, and when the most legendary cat of them all came to visit Grandma Hester, it somehow got scared and lost under the back porch of the old house, never to be seen again. It was a rather ignominious end to an otherwise fine animal, and since no single cat was good enough to replace it, Nancy had to get two cats.

It’s human nature to think that Mom’s home cooking is always the best, but with Nancy, there was some truth to it. That’s because when she did things, it was often done in a big way, all or nothing. Her homemade bread was excellent, but it was her glazed donuts that really stole the show. She used a stovetop deep fat fryer, and when donut production ramped up, it took over the entire kitchen. The kids ate until they were nearly sick, because it was too good to stop.

When her son Danny was 12 years old, she made him go to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings with her. He never really understood if it was for her or for him, but he later suspected that his addiction to those glazed donuts must have sent up a red flag. Something, however, did help her conquer her demons, like the occasional beer, and too many cigarettes, but there was some backsliding along the way.

Nancy insisted on going to church every Sunday, but if a church did something to get her dander up, she wouldn’t hesitate to switch her allegiance to another House of God. Her faith stood with her to the end, as did her dedication to her family. She wore out a couple of cars driving her kids around to various events and functions, without ever complaining that she was too tired. If you signed up for something, she made sure that you followed through with it.

Some of the favorite family stories were about her motorcycle, a Honda Super 90, and how it got some of the family members in trouble. Among other things, her son Danny was pulled over by the police for riding it without a license, when he was 15 years old, but the worst thing by far was when Aunt Adelle wanted to learn how to ride it. She was probably in her 50’s, and she kept killing the engine as she let the clutch out. The spectators all shouted: “rev the motor!!”, so she gave the throttle a big twist, and popped a couple of giant wheelies, at least five feet high, before the bike shot out from under her, and she fell down hard on her dignity. She was o.k., but the laughter from that experience can still be heard.

Nancy is survived by her children Michael, Danny, and Jodie, granddaughter Alyn with her husband Mario, and four cats.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, March 13th at 3:00 PM at the Amos Family Funeral Home, 10901 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS 66203.

Donations in the name of Nancy Marie Euritt can be made to City Union Mission or St. Luke’s Hospice House.