Nancy Hendrickson, 93, of Grinnell, died May 22, 2025, at her residence in Beebe Hall of the Mayflower Community in Grin-nell and under the care of UnityPoint Grinnell Regional Hospice.
A celebration of life gathering will be held 2-4 p.m., Saturday, June 7, in the Buckley Dining Room in the lower level of Buckley Hall of the Mayflower Community, 619 Park Street in Grinnell. Private family interment will be held at Chester Cemetery north of Grinnell.
Memorials may be designated to Mayflower Community Human Needs Fund or to Chester Cemetery Association and mailed in care of the Smith Funeral Home and Crematory, PO Box 368, Grinnell, IA 50112.
Nancy was born in the east room of the big white farmhouse built by her grandparents just before midnight on Oct. 30, 1931. She attended Weldon Schools until her senior year graduating from Roosevelt High School in Des Moines.
While a student at Drake University, she met Wayne Hendrickson at a family gathering in Grinnell. They were married Apr. 8, 1951. Wayne was in the Air Force during the Korean War and was sent to Germany. Nancy joined him, and they spent a year in Landsberg. They returned to the States and spent the rest of his tour of duty at Pope Air Force Base in Fayetteville, NC.
They started farming in Chester Township in 1955. Nancy was active in the Sonora Grange, the Chester Congregational Church, and served as a 4-H leader and as the Grinnell Band Boosters President. She was a spokesperson for the Iowa Soybean Association promoting the uses of and foods made from soybeans. She was a member of BM PEO, Tuesday Club, and Pi Rho Club. She enjoyed memorizing poetry, researching genealogy, and writing family stories.
Nancy and Wayne spent several winters in Mesa, AZ, and during this time she served on various committees in the Fountain of the Sun. They moved to the Mayflower Community in 1994.
Nancy is survived by her son Mark (Nancy) of Grinnell; daughter Linda (Dalton) Kelley of Springfield, IL; five grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and one sister-in-law Mary Lou Landis of Westfield, MA.
She was preceded in death by her husband; parents; two sisters and their spouses; one brother; and two infant sons.
