Nancy Sue Brocks was born on March 4, 1930, to Henry and Ora Brocks. She grew up on a farm in Fresno on the corner of Shields and Fowler. There she learned about the value of hard work, thriftiness, and family. She attended Jefferson Elementary and graduated from Clovis High School.
She graduated from business-college and got a job at McMahon’s Furniture Store as an accountant. Those skills she used throughout her life in budgeting for a large family on a parochial teacher’s salary. One of her biggest thrills was the lost art of balancing her checkbook to the penny every month. She later worked and volunteered at Eaton Elementary School where she met life-long friends and was an example to a multitude of children on what kindness meant. She volunteered until covid rules restricted volunteering.
She met Robert Gross a teacher and future principal at Emmanuel Lutheran School. Both were Sunday School teachers and many of their dates were Sunday School meetings. She and Bob got married on June 9, 1956. Over the next 50 years of marriage they raised six kids and were blessed with six wonderful sons and daughter in laws, and 18 grandchildren. The most important lessons they taught their family was the importance of faith in God and value of family. When it came to family their motto was “We sink or Swim Together”.
Bob went home to heaven on June 1, 2007. For the next 15 years Nancy led the family, which now includes 18 great-grandchildren. Nancy led by example and touched everybody who she came in contact with, because of her kindness, compassion and wonderful sense of humor, which she possessed until her final days.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Bob, sister Janet Martin. She is survived by children, Anita and Les Olvera, Matt and Janet Gross, Katy and Hal Baptista, Erich Gross, Andy and April Gross, Marti and Chris Hansen; 18 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and nieces Susie Hord, Lisa Kaplan, Julie Martin and Shirley Martin.
A memorial service will be held April 1, at 2:00 pm at Redeemer Lutheran Church; located
at 1084 West Bullard. In lieu of flowers a memorial has been set up at Redeemer Lutheran Church.
