Nancy's Obituary
“Heaven has gained another angel. Nancy Kaye Giles, 81, of Great Falls went to be with Jesus on February 13, 2024. She was our rock and will be missed by many.
Nancy was born to Oswald and Evelyn Kreftmeyer on September 12, 1942, in Alton, Illinois. She was the eldest of four children. She graduated from Roxanna High School in 1960 and then went on to get her nursing degree from the Deaconess School of Nursing in St. Louis, Missouri. She completed her Registered Nursing in 1963.
She married Troy Taylor in 1963. He was in the Air Force. Together they had 5 children, Michael, Gregory, Douglas, Cynthia, and Bradley. They divorced in 1974. She married Wesley Crawford in 1977 and they had 1 child, Phillip. They divorced in 1980. Finally, she found “The One.” In 1988, she met Terence Giles in Athol, Idaho, a short distance from her home in Sandpoint, Idaho. But Nancy's other love was Montana and so they moved back to Great Falls permanently in 1989, where they had 35 glorious years together. They loved to go out dancing and take long drives where she would read, and he honed his photography skills.
Nancy chose Obstetrics as her specialty in Nursing and spent 30 years as a Labor and Delivery nurse. First at different military bases around the country and then finally at Deaconess Medical Center in Great Falls, Montana. She also worked part-time at Columbus Hospital, also in Great Falls. However, she got the chance for a Labor and Delivery Nursing Supervisor position, but this required her to move to Sandpoint, Idaho. But after marrying the love of her life, they returned to Montana where she went right back to delivering babies in her beloved city. Nancy had a gift for nurturing new mothers. She always seemed to know when new and experienced moms needed a kind touch. This came about after she lost her infant son, Douglas, at birth. She also became a part of the Deaconess Hospital's new Mercy Flight. When the hospital began using a helicopter, Nancy made many trips up to the High Line (Northern Montana) to retrieve obstetrical patients who needed more care than a rural hospital could provide. Regrettably, due to ongoing medical issues, she had to retire from nursing in 1994.
However, this didn't slow her down too much. Nancy and another retired nurse went on and founded the Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies Coalition for Cascade County. HM/HB works to improve the health, safety, and wellbeing of Montana families by supporting mothers and babies from pregnancy to age three.
Nancy also spent many, many hours helping her church. For 17 years, she and her husband worked with the Vineyard Church Mercy Ministry helping to distribute food, feed, and provide clothing to families in Great Falls. This ministry is still active and has been in continued operation for 35 years. It now concentrates on food distribution.
Nancy and Terry also had a weekly kinship group in their home for many years. In her later years, she joined her husband in driving vehicles for Avis/Budget Car Rental. Her last endeavor was being an Election Judge along with Terry, for Cascade County. They served the small community of Vaughn. But as her health deteriorated, she was unable to continue with these activities.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Oswald and Evelyn Kreftmeyer; brother and his wife, David and Alice Kreftmeyer; and her sons, Douglas and Philip.
Nancy is survived by her husband, Terry; sisters, Barbara (James) Dorsey of Bethalto, IL and JoAnn (Doug) Lohr of Kentland, IN; children, Michael (Shannon) Taylor of Okotoks, Alberta, Canada, Gregory Taylor of Madison, GA, Cynthia Sell of Great Falls, and Bradley (Tammy) Taylor of Billings, MT; 10 grandchildren; and 8 great-grandchildren.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, April 13, 2024, at 1 pm at the Vineyard Christian Fellowship Church, 1617 6th Ave N, Great Falls, Montana.
