Nell Faust was born in Star, Texas as Nelma Vonicile Stephan on June 3^rd, 1925 … over 91 years ago. She also had a brother Charles and a sister Vela. They all grew up on the family farm during the depression years. Star, Texas had a population of about 40 then (it’s up to 80 now, still has a post office but the saloon is closed) …but the Stephan’s farm was really miles away from that thriving metropolis. Nelma worked in the garden, gathered the fresh eggs from the hen house, milked the cows and even churned the butter. Everything was organic then… but nobody knew. But Daddy took care of the “fresh” chicken dinner as sweet little Nelma couldn’t bear to watch that part.

But life was pretty good and the sunsets on that farm were the prettiest on earth.

It was on that farm where she learned to be hard working, frugal, self sufficient and a little stubborn …well, more than a little … but always loving, generous and giving ... qualities that served her well and lasted her entire life.  She also learned to cook and bake real Texas comfort food on that farm and she was the best cook. She made the world’s best lemon meringue pie and fried chicken. Later Kansas City living got in her blood and she loved her BBQ and Dr Peppers.

After the farm, during the war Nell went to work at Convair making airplanes, just like “Rosie the Riveter”. But Nell was destined to be a homemaker for life. She married and became a loving mother to 3 children, Janice, Billy and Richard (also known as Rick). Everything was for her children. In 1974 Nell’s heart was broken to never fully mend when her beloved Billy died in a car accident. But her never-ending love for Rick and Janice remained.

She was an avid refund club member and often went to the grocery store with so many coupons and rebates that her $100 grocery bill was almost free (often to the dismay of people in stuck line behind her!) She loved saving money and sharing in the bargains. All her life she was smart as a whip and sharp as a tack, she’d beat you at Scrabble every time! She kept meticulous records and every receipt she ever had … organized in a color coded file system. She learned to use a computer and had many online friends with her refunding clubs and pen pals. She and Rick emailed every morning and night, as well as emails with daughter Janice and many others.

She lived most of her life in her little house in Grandview for almost 50 years married to Col. Fred Faust, handsome hot shot WW2 fighter pilot and Silver Star decorated rescue chopper pilot in both Korea and Vietnam. She loved her house and yard and was an avid gardener with a definite green thumb. Her roses were spectacular and we could never convince her that we simply could not consume tomatoes by the bushel basket.

Nell always looked 20 years younger than her age. It was great fun to ask people to guess her age as they would always be decades younger. At her 80^th birthday party she didn’t look a day over 60. Guess it was those healthy Texas farm girl genes, most people in her family have made it into their 90’s and even beyond. She was vigorously sawing branches off her trees at age 90!

But she did finally slow down and her body began to give out. Even then she remained fiercely independent and didn’t want to be a bother.

Mom…. You were never a bother but will always be a blessing.

And the sunset last Saturday was the prettiest on earth.