Nancy Benstead
nee Jones (Tesolin)
“She’s an eagle when she flies”
Nancy passed away peacefully at Ivy House in Grand Forks, B.C. on June 8, 2017. She was born in Vancouver, B.C. on July 24, 1935. At the age of 2 she moved to Grand Forks and after graduating she moved to Calgary, Alberta for a short time but returned to Grand Forks in 1956 and married Spart Tesolin.
Nancy held a busy life up the North Fork Valley, where she lived the farm life and raised 5 children. During that time she was involved in the North Fork Community Club, North Fork Hospital Auxiliary and the Boundary Stock Horse Association.
Once her family was raised she worked in town at the Yale Hotel as a front desk clerk which was also the emergency call dispatch for the local ambulance and fire service.
In 1983, she moved to Edmonton where she continued her work as a desk clerk, some of that time at the YMCA.
In 1996; she moved to Calgary where she reconnected with an old friend, Art Benstead. They married and moved back to Grand Forks in 1997.
Nancy then moved to Pentiction in 2010 where she met many new friends but wanted to be closer to family so returned back to Grand Forks in 2015.
Nancy had a great love of animals especially horses. The highlight of her week was critter visit days. (Thank you Kathy!)
She is survived by her children, Rob (Sandy), Arna (Pete), Steve, Karen (Geoff). Her grandchildren; which were her pride and joy, Melissa, Sarah, Kaya, Shea, Jessica, James, Dave, Sheena, Blake, Allan and Brant and 10 great grandchildren, plus her cherished friend of many years, June Berkin.
She was predeceased by her father Robert Jones 1939, step-father Frank Miller 1958, Mother Evelyn Miller 1976, Brother Arnold Jones, husband Art Benstead and grandson Michael Beliveau all in 2003 and daughter Jerri Dupuis in 2007.
At Nancy’s request cremation has taken place and there will be no service. The family would like to thank the staff at Ivy House for the care and support they’ve given Mom during her time there. Cremation arrangements have been entrusted to Grand Forks Funeral Home. “If there is another world, she lives in bliss. If there’s none, she made the best of this!”