Nancy Gilbertson

Nancy Gilbertson, age 68, of Williston, ND, died on December 21, 2020, in Williston.

Graveside services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, October 22, 2021, at Mound Cemetery in Ortonville. Friends and relatives are invited to attend.

A light lunch will be held following the service at the Ortonville Mercantile and Gallery, on main street Ortonville.

Nancy Jane Gilbertson was born August 18, 1952 to Herbert and Martha (Herzog) Wiese in Ortonville, MN. She grew up on the family farm in Big Stone County where she attended Country School District #133 (#14) and graduated from the Ortonville High School in 1970. Nancy graduated from the University of Minnesota Morris in 1975.

That same year Nancy married Laurell Taylor in Sisseton, SD. They resided in Chamberlain, SD and Plentywood MT where they managed Group Homes. Nancy also taught school briefly in Chamberlain. In 1989 Nancy married Gary Gilbertson in Sydney, MT.  They resided in Culbertson, MT where Nancy worked as a CNA. For the last 30 some years Nancy resided in Williston, ND where she worked at Bethel Homes in the Dietary Department.

The highlight of Nancy’s life was the birth of her son Joel Erin on Christmas Eve Day 1983. She took great pride in her son and cared for him with great love and tenderness. But the joy of his birth was short lived. On the first day Nancy returned to work after maternity leave, Joel died at age 8 weeks of SIDS (Cribdeath) at the babysitters.

Nancy served as an advocate for mental health issues testifying several times at the North Dakota State Legislature. She also worked closely with “Sunshine”, a newsletter put out by a local drop-in. Nancy had gradually become afflicted at an early age with mental health issues which stayed with her the rest of her life. Nancy’s deep Christian faith carried her through many difficult days.

Nancy J. Gilbertson is survived by her sisters Tessa (Dennis) Mahoney of Appleton, MN and Tami (Doug) Plank of Gayville, SD, her sister-in-law Dorothy Wiese of Appleton, MN, her life-long friend Kathy Nordgren and numerous nephews, nieces, and cousins.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her son Joel Taylor, husband Gary Gilbertson, and brother Terry Wiese.