I was born in 1934 in the Feather River Canyon area, in Portola, California, at the height of the Great Depression. I grew up in a home where singing was breathing. My Grandma, Mom, Stepdad, Stepmother, and my Dad at one time all sang in the Tabernacle Choir. I was a choir brat. When no one could tend me at home they'd take me to choir. I loved it! I sang in everything in school.
I met my husband, James Athay, on a blind date and, oh boy, did I get a good deal! I had just graduated from college and was living in Salt Lake City in the Avenues. One day when I was exhausted from work, my friend, who had set up the date insisted that I go. When the young man knocked on my door, as I opened it, I said to myself, "I think I'll keep this one." I looked him up and down and thought, "This one's a keeper!"
At this time, Jim was going to school at the University of Utah and I worked at the LDS Hospital in the O.R. (Operating Room) and loved it. I had been saving up money to go to Europe but Jim needed my financial support. Since I fell in love with him, I gave him all the money I had saved. When we celebrated his Bachelor of Science Degree, all the money we had left was just enough to go out to dinner. It took every penny.
I worked in the O.R. with a young surgeon who had just finished his residency at the Mayo Clinic. His name was Russell M. Nelson. He was a ball of fire and renowned as the best cardio surgeon in between the Mayo Clinic and the California coast.
Nurses who assisted him were called "scrub nurses." They were responsible for all the instruments used in the operations as well as anything else that was needed. When they received assignments some would be reluctant to help and said, "I had him last time. It's your turn now." He expected you to be on your toes! But he was not like some other surgeons who were "carpenters at heart." They were good, but Dr. Nelson cared, worried, and kept tabs on his patients. He was always kind and never rude. But he was always on his best game and he expected us to be, too. Absolutely. This meant, that as his scrub nurse, I did my best because he did.
While working one afternoon shift, I carefully organized all the implements and instruments for the next day's surgeries. Each operation case had its own table that was lined up with the others. I asked Dr. Nelson what he planned to do for a specific case for the next day. He said, "I don't know." A faithful patriarch from Southern Utah was coming in to have something done. Dr. Nelson had previously informed him that he would not be able to help him. So the gentleman left but later returned again. He said that Heavenly Father had said that he needed to return. He said that Heavenly Father would tell Dr. Nelson exactly what to do. So, there I was, hoping somehow to organize his cart.
Dr. Nelson got the patient on the table and made an incision. Then into his mind, a mental image like a diagram opened up. It was like a schematic that told him exactly what to do. Elder Nelson spoke of this inspiring experience in General Conference. It is also recorded in the article, '"Sweet Power of Prayer," Ensign, May 2003. After the surgery was over Dr. Nelson published about the procedure in a medical journal since it was such a new and successful procedure.
My work in the hospital was fun and exciting. Imagine getting paid for something like this!
After Jim finished his schooling we moved to the Northwest where I continued to work in operating rooms and loved every minute of it. When I moved here I worked in the O.R. at Utah Valley Hospital and at the Mountain View Hospital in Payson. I retired around 1996.
It took me a long time when Dr. Nelson became an apostle to think that he wasn't Dr. Nelson anymore. Instead, he was an apostle!
I conducted the congregational singing when he presided at our Mapleton State Conference around 1999. When the meeting was finished, it seemed that everyone came up to talk to him and to shake his hand. I waited behind the group until everyone had left. Then I said, "Dr. Nelson, do you remember me?" He looked me up and down to the spine and then opened his arms and said, "Nancy!" Then he gave me a great big hug. He asked me how things were. I told him that my husband had passed away and that I just returned home from my mission microfilming all kinds of things at the Church Offices in Salt Lake City. I then felt that Elder Nelson looked right at my heart. He said, "You're going to be just fine." I repeated to him, "I'm going to be just fine." And I knew I would be.
Jim and I had five beautiful children, 18-ish grandkids, and lots of greats! I miss Jim. He's been in the Spirit World for 22 years. I know exactly what he's doing there since he absolutely loved missionary work here.
By the way, I played the cello when I grew up. I worked in the Payson Temple baptistry, and my favorite food is BBQ chicken with lots of barbecue sauce on it!
Love,
Nancy
"A few years ago I went with some of my family on a search-and-find family history quest, hoping to find the location of the Lewis family ranch in Ramah, New Mexico. Throughout my life I had heard stories about life on the ranch from my Dad, my Grandpa, and Dad's two brothers who grew up there.
"The ranch was on the high desert, about 7,200 ft. in elevation, by the Navajo and Zuni reservations. Grandpa Lewis homesteaded the ranch about 6 miles southeast of Ramah.
"Roy Lewis, a younger cousin, helped us find its location. He took us to the end of a road and said, "That's where it was." He also said that a 90-year-old uncle, Evan Lewis, could take us to the place.
"A day or so later, we all got together at the uncle's house in Gallup, New Mexico. He was an up-to-date genealogist. We spent 2 1/2 hours together and he gave me a copy my great-grandfather's missionary journal to the Navajo and Hopi Indians. He was a formally called missionary for 9 years. He learned Navajo, Zuni, and some Spanish languages.
"Evan agreed to accompany us on a 40 minutes drive to the ranch with the family. There were tender mercies along the way as we drove over dirt roads with closed, chained, but unlocked gates. Although the property was owned by an Oklahoma relative, Evan gave us permission to enter the property. He said that Grandpa's cabin was 30 feet from the fence line.
"When we saw indications of an old water well, we recalled stories about Grandpa and Grandma digging it and then trying to fetch water. Grandpa would climb down the well then Grandma would reel him back up. They never got good enough water from the well, so they had to drive to Ramah in a wagon to haul water in three barrels for washing, culinary use, and watering the animals.
"When my son-in-law walked through the sagebrush, he found rows of rocks indicating the original cabin foundation and fireplace. My grandparents' cabin would have fit within my kitchen in Mapleton! They raised several children in that little home.
"We visited the infamous Ramah Reservoir that had broken through nine times from summer rainstorms.
"During this wonderful, spirit-guided trip we not only met Evan, we met another great aunt in Ramah who was in her 90's, plus other relatives. We even went to a small museum in Ramah where we saw a buffalo skull signed by President Brigham Young.
"The location of my grandparents' ranch was so different from what I had envisioned. This adventurous family history trip was filled with a powerful spirit and miracles!"
"During a recent trip to Britain, we were able to visit a 12th century Church where one of my direct ancestors was rector in the early 18th century. We have documented the location and record or his service and posted it to Family Search.
"We also visited the pond at John Benbow's farm in Herefordshire where Wilford Woodruff taught and baptized so many people, including my great grandfather.
"We climbed to the top of the Herefordshire Beacon, the highest point among the Malvern Hills, where Woodruff, Brigham Young, and others met to strategize the future of the work of salvation in Britain.
"It was so powerful to be there with two of our children, and help them connect with a place of such meaningful spiritual heritage for our family."