Nancy Schanes Obituary
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Sharon Beach
October 26, 2025
Just wish Nancy were still here with us. I know she would be amazed in the fact that I finally got the Westhafer story published! My sisters and I started this journey in 2010 and now have 2 published books. But the Westhafers as the survivors of the horrendous immigrant ship "Love and Unity" with Nancy's ancestors on board is a story for the ages. She would be so happy.
joy Linton Whitfield
October 26, 2022
Never to be forgotten are memories we made during our trip to Sedona. I think of you every trip there and the fun we had. God Bless you, Nancy. PS - Thanks for the gift of your son Dave. VIP in our family.
Cheryl Hartley
September 20, 2018
My mother-in-law, Evelyn Sigmund Hartley, was a cousin to Nancy. She did detailed work on the Sigmund family tree before the Internet became a tool for genealogy. We would laugh that she "did genealogy the hard way." I am so sorry to learn of her passing.
Sharon Beach
March 15, 2018
Nancy was introduced to me through genealogy. She and I are descendants of only 48 survivors out of 150 passengers on the ill-fated ship "Love & Unity." She, from the Sigmunds; and I, from the Westhebers. This trip that began in 1731 was to last at the most 8 weeks, but lasted 25 weeks. Those who survived could barely walk off the ship. All you have to do is google "Love & Unity 1731" to read the horrendous story of survival. It was wonderful to share the stories of our ancestors and I will miss her very much
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Kim
November 3, 2017
Nancy was a client of mine for over 20 years. She was such a nice lady & great to talk to. We loved comparing cat stories. She always had a great story to share. I will miss our talks as she will be missed very much. Thanks for the everything Nancy.
Joy & Peter Whitfield
November 3, 2017
Nancy was introduced into our lives upon the marriage of my sister Stephanie to our amazing brother-in-law, her son Dave. She was truly an remarkable person - so full of energy and always interested in learning more about life. Nancy came to visit us in Phoenix. She did more and saw more in that week than we have in the years we have lived here. She spent days at her favorite architects home - Frank Lloyd Wright and came back so excited each day full of stories and a lists of questions for her next visit. She loved the red rocks of Sedona and we laughed through dinner with my mother Lillian at a little french restaurant where she ordered in their native tongue. She shared her secret family recipe for fondue that no one but her son Dave can seem to get exactly right. She is dearly loved by many including her grandchildren (my nieces & nephew) Steve, Kelly and Megan. Thank you Nancy for the gifts of your son Dave and daughter Linda and thank you to my sister Steph for being wise enough to marry into the Schanes family bringing Nancy into our lives. God's speed Nancy as you no doubt are already on your next exciting journey.
Stephen, Kelly and Megan Schanes
November 2, 2017
My sisters and I knew Nancy Schanes as Grammy. When we were younger, making the trip to Delaware to visit Grammy and Grandpop felt like a grand journey to us. Everything in their house was interesting to us and hearing stories from the two of them always delighted and intrigued us. Grammy was always so excited to see us and that excitement was contagious.
When I studied abroad, I posted a daily blog post online. On every post without fail, I would see one reply from Nancy Schanes. Each of those comments meant the world to me when I read them because I could tell that Grammy was ecstatic I had gotten the opportunity to travel internationally. We had many long conversations about life abroad that I look back upon fondly. I will never forget the stories she told of her living in Amsterdam and Switzerland and her other amazing adventures abroad that she would regale my sisters and I with.
Grammy was always one of the biggest supporters of my sisters and I. Truly, in our successes she felt success also, and it is hard to ask for anything more than that. We love you, Grammy. Thank you for sharing your stories with us.
Lilly Linton
November 2, 2017
Nancy Schanes is the mother of my brother-in-law David, and grandmother to my beloved nieces and nephew, Kelly, Megan and Stephen. Nancy was upbeat, kind, smart, and a doting mother and grandmother. My nieces make many of her recipes, all of which are now family staples. She encouraged and supported her grandchildren's education, and never forgot a birthday or important life event. She raised an amazing son, and we are so lucky to have Dave as our brother-in-law. He inherited her kind and generous spirit, and is an awesome father and husband. Nancy will be greatly missed by our family, and I thank her for her loving support of my sister and her family.
Michelle Howell
November 1, 2017
Nancy Schanes was a cousin of mine and we found each other through us both doing our genealogies. We're both descendants of the "Howell" family. We found each other in the year 2000 and have been close ever since. She lived in Wilmington, Delaware and I live in Barrington, New Jersey. We'd both travel to each others homes to visit. Nancy had given me a brick and a leaf from the first David Howell who came to the US from Wales. The brick and leaf came from the original foundation of the plantation. He owned an 800 acre plantation in Pencader Hundred, Delaware. She had located the port from where he sailed from in Wales but could not get any further. I then did more extensive research and found where the Howell Family lived and went back even further into our ancestry. She was very happy and surprised with the additional information. Nancy loved doing genealogy and her research work now fills file cabinets in her home, along with photographs on her genealogical office. I will miss her and never forget her. She and her husband Alan were beautiful kind people. I love you Nancy, your cousin Michelle Howell.
October 31, 2017
Nancy became a part of our family in the early 1980's through her genealogical research of the Sigmund family. She always had interesting fun stories to tell at family parties.
We will miss her.
Connie Clifford Hess
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7230 Lancaster Pike, Hockessin, DE 19707
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