Nancy Jean (Sloan) Thomas was born the youngest daughter to John and Dorothy Sloan on November 8, 1954 in Rochester, MN. Living in Minnesota provided a wealth of adventure for little Nancy. She loved playing outside and was quite famous for bringing home all sorts of creepy creatures and critters. It was her summers on her grandparents’ farm that instilled the country life in her soul.

In 1965, the family moved to Williston, ND when John was transferred with the Weather Bureau. They joined St. Joseph’s Catholic Church where Nancy and her sister Cindy attended primary school. Nancy attended Williston High School and graduated with the class of 1973. She continued her education at UND-Williston pursuing coursework in business.

In 1972, Nancy met the love of her life, Terry Thomas. They were married June 28, 1975 in Williston, ND and moved to Hazen, ND for work. They soon welcomed their first daughter Lynn into the world on July 15, 1976. On July 22, 1978, their second daughter, Angie arrived just ahead of a massive thunderstorm complete with tornado sirens. Nancy said later that the way her daughters came into the world defined their personalities; one quiet and reserved, the other bringing the thunder, both a force to be reckoned with.

The family then moved to a farm outside of Beulah, ND. Nancy worked at Coast to Coast Hardware while Terry worked at Glen Harold mine and together they took care of their family. She loved being on the farm surrounded by chickens, kitties, horses, dogs, and cows.

In 1980, they began construction on their new home on the Thomas ranch 20 miles east of Williston, ND. Nancy worked at Rustad Jewelers and helped on the farm. She was in heaven-on-earth riding horses, picking chokecherries, feeding cattle, and swimming at the river. She raised a large garden and took up hobbies like cross stitching and macramé. She opened a small business called Country Charms which provided a place for local craftspeople to sell their wares. In 1987, drought hit North Dakota and the oil boom went bust making times hard on the farm. Terry joined the army and the family was stationed at Bad Kissingen, West Germany.

During their tour, Nancy managed the Stars and Stripes bookstore on post. They finished their tour stateside at Ft. Sill Lawton, OK. In 1990, while at Ft. Sill, Terry was deployed for the Gulf War and Nancy took a job with a veterinary clinic realizing her life-long dream to work with animals.

They moved back to the farm after their tour was over and Nancy quickly found a job at Williston Veterinary Clinic. Later she began her career as a florist at FloraSphere followed by 12 plus years at Country Floral before finally retiring from Williston Basin Floral.

Nancy loved to laugh. She loved bringing her family together for good stories and homemade meals. Cooking, gardening, playing board games (especially Farkel), horseback riding, fishing and traveling were just a few of her passions. She was an avid reader, loved cooking shows, and always had animals following her around. Her greatest love in her life was being grandma to her two granddaughters. Her eyes smiled when she laughed and her hugs always made everything better. She tried to help you with any problem and was only a phone call away with a cheeseball or pan of her famous bars.

Nancy is preceded in death by her parents John and Dorothy Sloan of Williston, ND, her Father-in-Law Jay V. Thomas of Epping, ND and Brother-in-Law Jerry Thomas of Epping, ND. She is survived by her husband Terry Thomas of Williston, ND; daughter Lynn Thomas of Williston, ND; daughter Angie (Clevon) Dunbar of Williston, ND; granddaughters Makenzie Dunbar and Harper Dunbar; sister Cindy (Eugene) Youngman of Eugene, OR; Mother-in-Law Violet Thomas of Epping, ND; multiple in-laws, nieces, and nephews.

Happy Trails to you, Until we meet again!