Houston, Nancy Carolyn (1945 - 2026)

HOUSTON, BEDARD, KRUEGER, BUSS

Posted By: Denise Wurner (email)
Date: 2/26/2026 at 15:13:31

Name of deceased: Nancy Carolyn Houston

Aged: 81 yrs, 15 days

Residence: Lenoir City, TN

Born: Jan. 8, 1945; Denison, Crawford County, IA

Died: Jan. 23, 2026; Sweetwater Nursing Center, Sweetwater, Monroe and McMinn Counties, TN (cancer)

Funeral services: Burial was Feb. 6, 2026, in the Dow City, IA, Cemetery

Survived by: Sister, Kathleen Bedard of Phoenix, AZ; brothers, Stephen (spouse, Judy) of Moorhead and Iowa City, IA, and Michael of Harlan, IA; nephews, David Houston of Arion, IA, and Greg (spouse, Kris) Houston of Omaha, NE; niece, Carmen Krueger of Iowa City, IA; other family members and friends

Predeceased by: Mother, Jeanne E. Houston, of Omaha, NE; father, Harold J. Houston, of Omaha, NE; aunt, Eleanor Buss, of Council Bluffs, IA; grandmother, Kate Buss of Dow City, IA; nephew, Eric Houston of Moorhead, IA

Education: Graduated from Dow City-Arion (IA) Community High School, Class of 1963 as valedictorian of her class. She took the hardest courses offered in high school--every science course, every math course—and earned an A+ in all of them. Nancy was a star athlete, playing basketball and running track. After graduating, she was invited to join the Dayton, OH, AAUW track team where she participated in their summer schedule. She was a musician in high school, playing every drum and percussion instrument, and later playing the saxophone, in the high school band. She was a member of the girls’ glee club and mixed chorus. She continued her education at the University of Iowa and again excelled academically, earning a Bachelor of Science degree and graduating with “Highest Distinction,” the University’s equivalent at the time to Summa Cum Laude. Nancy was a member of Mensa.

Religious affiliation: no information provided

Military service: n/a

Marriage: no information provided

Employment: She taught high school science classes while living in Long Branch, NJ and Tom’s River, NJ; she then relocated to Lenoir City, TN, where she made her home and taught for the last 36 years. She taught math, science, chemistry, and ecology until her retirement in 2006. A passionate environmentalist, she championed the school’s recycling program. After retiring from teaching, Nancy continued to serve her community by tutoring homebound students and co-teaching at Richard Yoakley Alternative School, Knoxville, TN, until Spring 2025

Hobbies/Interests: Member of “The Shelties,” a pub trivia team that gathered weekly in Lenoir City, TN. Was a devoted advocate for the environment and for animals; cherished her cats, her dog, and the solitude of her small country farm; enjoyed being outdoors and loved the sun: she loved her many trips in earlier years to Nassau in The Bahamas. In more recent years, she loved sitting in her front yard in the sun with her many cats around her and working in her large garden; loved sports

Sources: foutsfuneralhome.com