Sustainable Agriculture in Honor of Nancy
Donation protected
Our mother, Nancy Jean Koenig (affectionately known as “Gramma Nana, or “the Marimba Lady”), passed on May 4th of this year.
Nancy raised us four children with the vision of living in community and close to the land, a vision that was brought closer by moving to the San Juan Islands from Seattle in 1997. All four of her kids are now engaged in various aspects of sustainable agriculture and creating resilient community.
As one part of celebrating and honoring her life, we felt it would be most appropriate to direct gifts in memoriam to the FARM Fund of the Orcas Food Co-op to further our mother's vision of sustainability and regenerative agriculture in the islands through grants to local farmers. (Gifts can also be mailed to: Orcas Food Co-op, Attn: FARM Fund, PO Box 913, Eastsound, WA 98245)
A celebration of Nancy's life will be held on Sunday August 25th at Oddfellows Hall in Eastsound. Potluck at 5pm, followed by stories, marimba, and other local music. All are welcome.
With love and appreciation,
Lucas, Davis, Learner and Ruby
---
Born in 1959 in a log cabin in the Missouri Ozarks, Nancy was the youngest of seven children and the only one born at home. Her family moved to Los Angeles when she was a young child. She always wished to live in the country again. Intelligent and hard-working, she graduated at the top of her high school class and attended Humboldt State University, where she majored in Ecology. She also worked with her brothers logging in the mountains. In 1980, she left college and married William Limbach. They settled in Seattle and had four children during their ten-year marriage. Nancy birthed three of their children on her own at home and became a strong advocate for natural birth and child-rearing.
In the late ‘80s, Nancy fell in love with Zimbabwean music and began taking lessons down the street from her Seattle home. She joined her teacher’s marimba band and took her four young children with her to concerts. She became known in the band as the only one who was always smiling, jumping up and down, and whooping! Soon she had built a set of marimbas and begun teaching her children and their friends, then a moms and babies class. In 1997, Nancy traveled to Zimbabwe with two of her children for three months. After the trip, they moved to Orcas Island, a wish come true. She taught marimba and mbira music on the island, to students of all ages and backgrounds. She and her family and students often performed for Summer Solstice, Music in the Park, Farmers Markets, 4th of July, and countless other community events throughout the years. Her children and grandchildren hope to continue the tradition.
During her twenty plus years on Orcas and Lopez Islands, Nancy served the community as a caregiver and gardener, but her service extended beyond work. She was always feeding people and looking after elders, mothers, and children in the community. Her happiest times were connecting with an elder or a child, playing music, or gardening. She was also a photographer, basket weaver, potter, painter, and seamstress. She made clothes for her children and grandchildren. She was a lay midwife and home birth and breastfeeding educator.
Though Nancy often served as a community hub, she also had a rich inner life and enjoyed solitude. She wrote a lot and intended to write a book. She maintained a practice of writing letters by hand.
Nancy spoke with eagles and seals and they communicated back.
She felt deeply connected with all life and had a profound and precise intuitive understanding of soil, plants, animals, and people.
Nancy left her body peacefully, at home on Orcas, attended by her children, after saying her goodbyes to family and friends over the preceding few months. She knew she was dying since December, though it was a surprise at age 59, and made the most of her limited time. She was able to be present for the home birth of her daughter’s first daughter in February. She also connected with many friends and family members and played a lot of music, right up to her final week. She was an artist and community builder to the end. Her dying process itself was a beautiful creation and one more gift to her family and community. She has earned a peaceful rest.
Nancy is preceded in death by her parents Alvin and Mary, and her sisters Karyn and Carmen. She is survived by her brothers Richard and Jon; her sisters Tina and Carol; her children Lucas, Davis, Learner, and Ruby; and her grandchildren Morgen, Robin, Cora, and Meara. She is deeply missed.
Nancy raised us four children with the vision of living in community and close to the land, a vision that was brought closer by moving to the San Juan Islands from Seattle in 1997. All four of her kids are now engaged in various aspects of sustainable agriculture and creating resilient community.
As one part of celebrating and honoring her life, we felt it would be most appropriate to direct gifts in memoriam to the FARM Fund of the Orcas Food Co-op to further our mother's vision of sustainability and regenerative agriculture in the islands through grants to local farmers. (Gifts can also be mailed to: Orcas Food Co-op, Attn: FARM Fund, PO Box 913, Eastsound, WA 98245)
A celebration of Nancy's life will be held on Sunday August 25th at Oddfellows Hall in Eastsound. Potluck at 5pm, followed by stories, marimba, and other local music. All are welcome.
With love and appreciation,
Lucas, Davis, Learner and Ruby
---
Born in 1959 in a log cabin in the Missouri Ozarks, Nancy was the youngest of seven children and the only one born at home. Her family moved to Los Angeles when she was a young child. She always wished to live in the country again. Intelligent and hard-working, she graduated at the top of her high school class and attended Humboldt State University, where she majored in Ecology. She also worked with her brothers logging in the mountains. In 1980, she left college and married William Limbach. They settled in Seattle and had four children during their ten-year marriage. Nancy birthed three of their children on her own at home and became a strong advocate for natural birth and child-rearing.
In the late ‘80s, Nancy fell in love with Zimbabwean music and began taking lessons down the street from her Seattle home. She joined her teacher’s marimba band and took her four young children with her to concerts. She became known in the band as the only one who was always smiling, jumping up and down, and whooping! Soon she had built a set of marimbas and begun teaching her children and their friends, then a moms and babies class. In 1997, Nancy traveled to Zimbabwe with two of her children for three months. After the trip, they moved to Orcas Island, a wish come true. She taught marimba and mbira music on the island, to students of all ages and backgrounds. She and her family and students often performed for Summer Solstice, Music in the Park, Farmers Markets, 4th of July, and countless other community events throughout the years. Her children and grandchildren hope to continue the tradition.
During her twenty plus years on Orcas and Lopez Islands, Nancy served the community as a caregiver and gardener, but her service extended beyond work. She was always feeding people and looking after elders, mothers, and children in the community. Her happiest times were connecting with an elder or a child, playing music, or gardening. She was also a photographer, basket weaver, potter, painter, and seamstress. She made clothes for her children and grandchildren. She was a lay midwife and home birth and breastfeeding educator.
Though Nancy often served as a community hub, she also had a rich inner life and enjoyed solitude. She wrote a lot and intended to write a book. She maintained a practice of writing letters by hand.
Nancy spoke with eagles and seals and they communicated back.
She felt deeply connected with all life and had a profound and precise intuitive understanding of soil, plants, animals, and people.
Nancy left her body peacefully, at home on Orcas, attended by her children, after saying her goodbyes to family and friends over the preceding few months. She knew she was dying since December, though it was a surprise at age 59, and made the most of her limited time. She was able to be present for the home birth of her daughter’s first daughter in February. She also connected with many friends and family members and played a lot of music, right up to her final week. She was an artist and community builder to the end. Her dying process itself was a beautiful creation and one more gift to her family and community. She has earned a peaceful rest.
Nancy is preceded in death by her parents Alvin and Mary, and her sisters Karyn and Carmen. She is survived by her brothers Richard and Jon; her sisters Tina and Carol; her children Lucas, Davis, Learner, and Ruby; and her grandchildren Morgen, Robin, Cora, and Meara. She is deeply missed.
Organizer
Learner Limbach
Organizer
Eastsound, WA
