Nancy Bird Grubb

Nancy was born September 28, 1920, Halifax, Yorkshire, England, the daughter of Frank & Dorothy Mabel (Tilbury) Bird. She was the third of four children born to Frank & Dorothy Bird. Vernon and Nancy Grubb met during World War II while both were stationed at air bases near Abingdon, England. Nancy was a WAC with the British Royal Air force and Vernon was a flight mechanic with the U.S. Air Force. They met at a pub called "The Grapes" and the rest was fine wine thereafter.Nancy and Vernon were married June 2, 1945 in Hounslow, England. Three months later Vernon returned to the United Sates with his unit. Nancy gave birth to their first son, Michael John Grubb, November 20, 1945 at West Middlesex Hospital in England. Nancy and Michael set sail from England for the United Sates and arrived in March of 1946. Vernon and Nancy welcomed their second son, Richard Dale Grubb, September 26, 1947. Richard was born at St. Luke's Hospital, Sioux City, Iowa. Nancy, Vernon and the boys lived in Sioux City with Vernon's parents and then moved to the Don Wormley farm seven miles northwest of Kingsley, in 1948.Nancy and Vernon returned to England on two different occasions to visit Nancy's family. The first time was during the mid-nineteen-sixties and then again during the nineteen seventies. Nancy and Vernon enjoyed returning to Nancy's homeland, but Nancy mentioned many times later in her life how much she loved the Kingsley area, the farm life, Vernon's family and the people of the area.Nancy and Vernon enjoyed traveling to Arizona for over 20 years to escape the Iowa winters. They were attracted to the warmth and beauty of Arizona and looked forward to the fellowship with friends during their stays. Of course playing golf during the winter months was also a very significant draw and kept them coming back year after year.They also traveled to Hawaii and there were family trips to Yellowstone Park, the South Dakota badlands, Jim and Inez Preston's Missouri farm near Marceline, New York City and New England. Traveling was a way of recharging their batteries, enjoying each other and introducing their sons to life beyond the farm.Nancy had a sense of adventure. She once remarked that even though she served during the Second World War she never thought about the danger of war or the possibility of dying. She said, "I was young and I was trying to enjoy everything around me. I wasn't afraid and that's how I lived my life at that time." If she was ever afraid, she never showed it and that's how she approached life in her later years.She is survived by her husband, Vernon of Kingsley, two sons, Michael (Armiller) Grubb Sr. of Bloomington, Indiana, and Richard (Susan) Grubb of Middletown, Delaware, three granddaughters, Teresa McKenzie, Dawn Dyer, Alexandria Adrian Cavazos, four grandsons, Michael J. Grubb, Jr., Richard A. Grubb, & Derrick Vernon Mathew Grubb & Abraham Ashley Young, four great -grandsons, five great-granddaughters, three step great-grandsons. Two half-brothers, John Mason and Eric Mason ,one half-sister, Louise Mason, one brother-in-law, Harlan (Joe) Grubb, Kingsley, Iowa, two sisters-in-law, Augusta Grubb, Council Bluffs, Iowa and Eileen Bird, Ash Vale, England, six nieces and six nephews.