Nancy Marie Richardson

Nancy M. Richardson, 73, of Harpers Ferry, IA, departed our earthly realm in the early morning on Thursday, August 28, 2025, at Thornton Manor in Lansing, IA, after a short battle with the final stages of liver disease. A celebration of life will be held from 2:00 - 4:00 PM Saturday, September 6th, at the Harpers Ferry Community Center, followed by a light dinner. Thornburg-Grau Funeral Home in Lansing is handling the arrangements.

Nancy Marie Richardson was born in Waukon, IA, on May 27, 1952, to Paula Valley (nee Houlihan) and Cletus Valley. She was their fifth child after brothers Roger, Ronny, and Ricky, sister Vicki Ann, followed by their sixth and last child Shirley. She graduated from St. George High School in Lansing, IA, in 1970, followed by Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, IA, in 1976.

In 1980, she married Jim Richardson, becoming a stepmom to Jim's children Kelly and Chris, and later that year, gave birth to their daughter Sasha. Five years later, she gave birth to their son Ben and they moved back to Harpers Ferry after years in Buffalo, MN, where they owned a bar called Nancy's Inn. Nancy retired from 3M in Prairie Du Chien, WI, in 2015, after more than 30 years with the company, making lifelong friends in the process.

Nancy was a kind, generous, and hard-working person her entire life. She was relaxed, supportive, and loved knowing about the lives of her family and friends. She loved the Vikings, the Hawkeyes, and Harpers Ferry deeply. She had friends and family around the world, but most of her favorite friends are the dogs that she met and befriended with a never-ending supply of biscuits as she completed her daily three mile walk around Harpers Ferry for the last couple decades of her life.

She was preceded in death by her son Ben Richardson; her brother Ronny Valley; parents Paula and Cletus Valley; her cat Sissy; and her dog Tiny. She is survived by her daughter Sasha (Daniel); stepchildren Kelly (James) Branch and Chris (Emily) Richardson; sisters Shirley (Greg) Snitker and Vicki Ann Valley; brothers Ricky (Lynda) Valley and Roger (Marlene) Valley; many nieces and nephews and their families; and her many friends. She's also survived by Sasha and Daniel's dog Lucy, her other cat Baby, and an uncountable number of dogs that she fed on her walks.