Seifert, Nancy Lou

Nancy Lou Seifert died Monday, April 15, 2013, after living a lifetime of happiness and fulfillment.

She was born in East Grand Forks, Minn., and she and her husband, Jim, were proud graduates of the University of North Dakota. In 1953, after a 2-year stint in the Air Force, Nancy and Jim left Idaho and traveled to Washington, Iowa. In partnership with Jim's brother, Bill, they built a group of women's' specialty stores, called Seiferts. In 1958, they opened their fifth Seifert's store in downtown Cedar Rapids, eventually growing the chain to 252 locations. In retirement Nancy and Jim spent winters in Boca Grande, Fla., and summers in Park Rapids, Minn.

She is survived by their three children and 10 grandchildren: daughter Kathy and her husband, Mike, and their children, Matt, Tim, Patrick and Sarah; son Jim and his wife, Jona, and their children, Jae, Paul and Anne; son John and Lisa Keeter; and John's three children, Becca, Sierra and Nicole, and their mother, Sarah Seifert.

Nancy will be remembered as a woman who lived every day with great passion and joy. She was the consummate hostess and always had an extra spot at her table for a friend or a stranger. She was a loving wife, a wonderful mother and an amazing grandmother.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Mercy Medical Center's Hall-Perrine Cancer Center in Cedar Rapids, BuildinGuate, a Guatemalan non-profit that works with poor families, or the charity of your choice.

A Funeral Mass and celebration of Nancy's life was held in Boca Grande, Fla., on Saturday, April 20, at 10 a.m.

Published April 21, 2013 in The Gazette