Nina V. Maddux

The youngest of five children, Nina was born in Goodnight, Texas, where her father was a blacksmith on the Colonel Goodnight Ranch as the Great Depression began. When hard times deepened, the family moved several times, living in small towns across the western United States. Though she later spent a number of years in other parts of the country, she always considered the West to be her home. On family trips westward from elsewhere, she encouraged her children to scan the horizon, promising a quarter to the first one who spotted the mountains.

The love of Nina’s life was her beloved husband, Jim, whom she married almost seventy years ago in Farmington, New Mexico. His career in the USDA took them all over the country, and in every place that they settled she established a loving home for him and their children—daughters, Jená and Tryna, and son, Kurt. She actively embraced each community, singing in the church choir in Denver, serving as secretary of the PTA in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and volunteering at the library in Phoenix. She read widely, eagerly sought to learn new skills and meet new people, and enjoyed sharing travel adventures with Jim. Her skills as a maker were legendary; the garments that she sewed and knitted for her family were of couturier quality.

Nina was happiest when surrounded by her cherished family and friends. Her favorite recipes were those that fed a crowd and could be stretched to welcome unexpected additions to the party. Over the years, she gathered her children along with her nieces and nephews, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, dear friends, and friends of friends. She was there for us all. She celebrated and appreciated and entertained us in good times. More importantly, she steadfastly consoled and tended us in terrible times. Most of all, she connected us, and her legacy is the love we have for each other.

Her passing leaves a void in our hearts, and we will never stop missing her.