John Irvin Nance

On May 11, 1934, Wilson Earl and Bertha Marie (Kint) Nance gave birth to their sixth child and gave him the name John Irvin Nance. While growing up near Shawnee, Oklahoma, John would catch rabbits for both food and income for the family - fifty cents a pelt. His favorite childhood memory was going out into the beauty of nature with his dog Skipper.

After following his brother Earl to Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University), John decided to go to Alaska as a Baptist missionary for one semester. Once there, he started a church and stayed as pastor for two years.

John returned to continue his studies by transferring to Oklahoma Baptist University. His brother Paul and his sisters Mary, Phyllis, and Hope were on campus to tell him about a student he just had to meet. John was twenty-two and Mary Winifred (Moore) was 20 when they married.

Their marriage lasted 70 years. They had two children. Son Matthew married Cheryl, giving John and Mary two grandsons. Grandson Joshua married Erin, who gave them greatgrandchildren Talyor, Adelyn, and Everrett. Grandson Jonathan married Samantha. Daughter Elizabeth married Dennis, giving John and Mary five grandchildren; John Warren, who married Kaitlin, Megan, Timothy, Rebecca and Nathan.

John had an ability to get others working hard together yet having fun at the same time. He enjoyed tennis, photography, genealogy and gardening.

As newlyweds, John and Mary pastored churches in Missouri and North Carolina, then took their young children to Indonesia, where they served as missionaries. On returning to the U.S. four years later, John became the Director of Religious Activities / Baptist Student Union at East Texas Baptist College.

For decades since the early days of living overseas, Mary's health remained a challenge. John reacted by grocery shopping and cooking for the family while somehow managing to be very fully engaged in student ministry. From her bed, Mary became the cheerleader for her children's progress.

The Nances lived in Marshall, Texas from 1968 to 1977, when John became the Coordinator of University Student Ministry with the Minnesota-Wisconsin Southern Baptist Fellowship. Mary eventually regained an active life.

John recalls the most enjoyable season of ministry was serving together with Mary in caring for Hmong refugees in Minnesota. They would strap donated mattresses on top of their car and take them to the refugees, who would otherwise be sleeping on the floor. Mary taught them English and practical skills for living in the U.S. while John led them to faith in Christ and helped them start a new church for refugees.

Moving even further north to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, John became the Director of Canadian Baptist Student Ministries. John's proudest moment was when his wife Mary received her earned doctorate from the University of Calgary at age 65.

Following official retirement from Canada, John and Mary spent three years serving in Japan through literacy missions and student ministries. Upon return to the United States, they lived in Colorado, then relocated to live in the Southeast U.S. At age 92, John outlived all his siblings. On November 7 while eating supper, John was mercifully taken swiftly home to heaven. This Saturday, November 14, there will be a Visitation from 10 am with the Memorial Service at 11 am and lunch to follow, at Pine Hill Baptist Church, Cairo, GA. After the Lord has Mary join John in heaven, there will be a graveside service for them both in Stillwater, OK.