Nancy Gross, 82, of Greenfield

Funeral Services: Will be held on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. at the Greenfield United Methodist Church with a Celebration of Life immediately following. Pastor Jaci Conard-Jarmes will officiate the service. The Celebration of Life will be held at the Adair Country 4H Building from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.. Attendees are encouraged to wear their favorite sports team, at Nancy’s request, as she loved all-things sports. The Lamb Funeral Home in Greenfield is in charge of the professional arrangements. Online condolences may be left to the family at www.lambfuneralhomes.com.

Memorials: Memorials may be made to the Nancy Gross Memorial Fund to be established by the family at a later date.

Nancy Ann (Green) Gross was born August 27, 1942, in Santa Ana, California to Jacob and Opal (Hall) Green. Nancy passed away at Azria Health in Winterset, Iowa, on June 6, 2025, after being hospitalized and admitted into hospice care. She was surrounded by friends and family in the weeks leading up to her passing. Nancy was born shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor and when war was declared, her mom and dad moved her and her brother, Gary Green, back to Iowa. Her father was drafted into the war and was killed in action when she was 2.5 years old. Her mother remarried Gaylord Jacobson and to that union, her brother, Gaylen (Jake) Jacobson, was born. She attended Greenfield schools’ kindergarten through high school, graduating with the Class of 1960. She worked as a lifeguard at the Greenfield Swimming Pool six days a week and loved working there, making 25 cents an hour.

Nancy married the love of her life, Dennis (Denny) Gross, on January 27th, 1963, at the United Methodist Church in Greenfield. Denny also grew up in Greenfield, but they did not date until she was a senior in high school and he was a junior. Neither Denny nor Nancy thought about dating each other, as he was a year younger, and they had their own groups of friends. They sat beside each other in mixed chorus class and got acquainted. Nancy usually got him in trouble with Mrs. Wallace for talking. As it turned out, the reason they sat next to each other was because she had gotten in trouble for talking and was moved to a different part of class. She asked him for a ride home from school one day and the rest was history. Denny and Nancy had three children, Leonard Scott, Susan Kay, and Paul Howard.

After graduating high school, Nancy moved to Des Moines with several classmates to attend the American Institute of Business (AIB), where she discovered her passion for typing and accounting. She went on to work in the Promotions Department at the Des Moines Register and Tribune, a role she considered her dream job. There, she led tours and occasionally modeled for promotional materials for the newspaper.

Denny and Nancy were married in 1963 and soon after moved to Longmont, Colorado, before eventually settling back in their hometown of Greenfield. Together with Darry and Roleen Chiles, they co-owned G&H Motor Freight Lines and Gross Manufacturing, where Nancy handled the bookkeeping and accounting for more than 30 years.

While working full-time and raising three children, Nancy still found time to give back by volunteering countless hours as a Boy Scout and Girl Scout leader, PTA mom, room mother, and as a timer and recorder at countless Greenfield track meets. Her commitment to her community didn’t stop when her kids grew up. She continued to serve Greenfield in many ways, including 12 years on the City Council and active involvement in several committees such as Planning and Zoning, the Library Board, Main Street and Chamber of Commerce, and the Greenfield Development Corporation. Nancy also served on the board of the Greater Greenfield Community Foundation and was a proud, and somewhat legendary, member of the Plumpettes. She led multiple RAGBRAI committees, was active in Rachel’s Circle, and belonged to the United Methodist Women, where she especially enjoyed helping brides plan their weddings.

Nancy was all about her people. Family and friends were everything to her, and her home was a place where everyone felt welcome. The door was always open, literally, and she was always ready to sit down, listen, and make you feel at home. It’s no surprise so many of her kids’ friends thought of her as a second mom. She loved being part of her kids’ and grandkids’ lives, never missing a game, recital, or event. She always made sure to stay in the loop with what they were up to. Thursdays were golf night, and she looked forward to her couples league every week. Nancy also loved hosting, especially for the holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve at her house were filled with food, laughter, and the people she loved most. She was a big fan of the local newspaper and would regularly cut out articles and photos of people she knew, as she just liked keeping up with everyone. And if there was a game on TV, you could count on Nancy to be watching, as she never missed one.

Nancy is lovingly remembered by her devoted husband of 62 years, Denny Gross of Greenfield; her three children, Leonard (Jackie) Gross of Queen Creek, Arizona; Susan (Mike) Smith of West Des Moines; and Paul (Melissa Schleiffarth) Gross of Greenfield. She was a proud grandmother to eight grandchildren: Jake Standley, Alex Standley, Kayla Smith (AJ Kirchner), Mackenzie (Cody) Withrow, Colton Gross, Courtney Gross, Jamie Johnson-Gross, and Jared Dory; and a cherished great-grandmother to five: Miley, Caleb, Austin, Violet, and Brooklyn. Nancy is also survived by her brothers, Gary (Jo) Green of Leawood, Kansas, and Jake (Maureen) Jacobson of West Des Moines; as well as her brother-in-law and sister-in-law: Darry and Roleen Chiles of Greenfield; along with numerous beloved nieces and nephews, extended family members, and many dear friends.

Nancy’s infectious laugh will be missed by everyone who knew her. Nancy shared with her family towards the end of her life that she was looking forward to being reunited with her father, who she lost at such a young age. She is now reunited with her father, her mother, and several of her dearest friends and extended family.

The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to the staff at Adair County Memorial Hospital, Adair County EMS, and Azria Health. A special thank you goes to the compassionate teams at Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital and Care Initiatives for their dedicated care and support.