Nancy Arland Garretson

Nancy A. Garretson died on August 31, 2021 at Morningstar Senior Living in West Des Moines, Iowa. Funeral services will be held at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Des Moines on Sunday, September 19, 2021 at 2 p.m.

She was born March 15, 1935, in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, the daughter of Orlendes and Irma Ross. After graduating from Mt. Pleasant High School, she attended Iowa Wesleyan College. There she was a member and was elected president of the Alpha Xi Delta sorority chapter. She was nominated for homecoming queen but declined, as she was busy working her way through college as a part time telephone operator. She later was queen of the annual Inter-fraternity Ball at Iowa Wesleyan.

After marrying her college sweetheart, William W. Garretson in 1956, they moved to Washington, D.C. where he went to law school, and she completed her college education at American University. Her first job after graduating from college was as a teacher at Bethesda-Chevy High school in Bethesda, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, where among her students were children of U.S. Cabinet members, Congressmen and Senators, with whom she would have parent-teacher conferences

In 1961, they returned to Iowa where her husband opened his law office in Fairfield, Iowa while she worked as a tutor at Parson’s College. In 1971, the family moved to West Des Moines, when her husband was appointed Assistant Attorney General of Iowa, and later opened a law office. Nancy worked as a substitute teacher for more than 30 years at Valley High School in West Des Moines and enjoyed interacting with students and teachers.

Nancy was active in many organizations including PEO and Iowa Thimble Club (past president) and went to conventions for both around the country. She was a 10+ gallon blood donor. She was known as Nana to her grandchildren and was famous for her “Nana cookies.”

She and her husband enjoyed traveling and went to Europe seven times, cruised the Caribbean twice, went to Mexico four times, took 30 winter vacations in Florida, spent two summers in Snowmass, Colorado, and went on a number of trips to California.

She is survived by her husband of 65 years, William W. Garretson of West Des Moines, Iowa, daughter Carol Jane Galyon (husband Alex) of Ames, Iowa, son William Owen Garretson of Oklahoma City, OK, and son Wendell Ross Garretson (wife Pamala Henning), Madison County, Iowa, five grandchildren, Andrew Galyon, Zachary Galyon, Olivia Galyon, Kyle Garretson, and Grace Garretson, and a brother and sister in Iowa City, Perry Ross (Becky) and Loretta Ross.

No flowers please. Donations in Nancy’s memory can be made to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church or Iowa Public Television.