Nancy (Rush) Davis, 73, of Atlantic, Iowa, died Wednesday, June 15, 2022, at Atlantic Specialty Care in Atlantic.
Nancy Marie was born on January 1, 1949, in New Harmony, Indiana, the daughter of Elvis Frederick and Evelyn Ruth (Reeves) Rush. Nancy and her dad shared the same birthday so it was no wonder she was a daddy’s girl from the start. Growing up with five siblings there was always a battle for who got to ride in the front seat on the way to town, eventually always coming to an agreement that one got the front on the trip in to town and then they’d trade on the way home. They were a close family working together on whatever was needed around the farm. A highlight of the week was when they gathered all their pennies to get candy from the bread man. She learned how to sew at a young age and showed off many of her creations at local fashion shows. In the summer of 1961, the family moved to Atlantic, Iowa, for Elvis’ job in the cattle business. She attended Atlantic Community Schools and graduated from Walnut High School in the Class of 1968.
The son of some close family friends would soon become her husband. Nancy was united in marriage to Roger Lee Davis on October 26, 1968, at the First United Methodist Church in Atlantic. The couple lived in Walnut where she worked at the Dairy Sweet and after moving to Atlantic, she worked at Chase Law Firm as a legal secretary, at Husker News stripping books, and assisted Roger with his monument business.
Roger and Nancy were blessed with nearly 54 years of marriage and used to dance in the living room with various songs from their record collection playing. They frequently went cruising around town and ventured to area antique shops looking for a hidden treasures to add to their collections. Their travels took them on trips to Branson, MO, Toledo, OH, Bella Vista, AR and Indiana. Family time was a priority and some of her favorite memories were made sitting around the table at her parents’ home for family dinners on Sunday’s complete with fried chicken, mash potatoes and iced tea. Nancy’s specialty in the kitchen were her pies, especially coconut crème. A few of her favorite shows were As the World Turns and the Dick Clark Family Show.
Nancy will be remembered as compassionate and strong-willed and will be deeply missed by her husband of 53 years, Roger Davis; siblings, Elizabeth (Chuck) Goodwater, Elvis Wayne (Barbara) Rush and Marlene Rush; sister-in-law, Violet Rush; and many nieces, nephews and extended family.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Elvis and Evelyn Rush; brothers and sister-in-law, Harold (Shirley) Rush and James Rush; brothers-in-law, Darrel Wayne Davis in infancy and Preston Duke; and sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Shirley (Howard) Bostrom.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Monday, June 20, 2022, at Roland Funeral Home in Atlantic. The service will be recorded and available on the funeral home website by noon on Tuesday. Burial will be held in the Atlantic Cemetery. Visitation with the family present will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home on Monday, starting at 1:00 p.m.
Roland Funeral Service is caring for Nancy’s family and her arrangements. Condolences may be left at www.rolandfuneralservice.com.
