Nancy Rose Jellico, beloved Mother, Grandmother, Great-grandmother, Sister and Friend, died Tuesday, February 27, 2018 at the Avera St Anthony's Hospital in O'Neill at the age of 78.

A graveside service will be arranged on a later date.

Biglin's Mortuary of O'Neill is in charge of arrangements.

Nancy Rose Norris was born in LaGrange, Georgia on September 22, 1939 to James and Mary (Capley) Norris. She lived in Hogansville, Georgia as an infant; Washington, DC, from 1940-1946; but spent the remainder of her childhood back in Hogansville, living with her grandparents. As a teenager, she lived in Jacksonville, Florida from 1957-1959. In 1959, she went to Denver, Colorado, studying for a year at the Colorado Institute of Art, receiving her diploma in 1960. She became registrar at the Institute, from 1961-1964, teaching there from 1964-1965. She was a student of Charlie Dye, also studying with John Jellico, the school's director, whom she married on Dec. 22, 1960. Divorced from John Jellico, she was married to Glenn Hildebrandt from 1987-1992.

Nancy was a prolific painter of Western subjects, also painting wildlife, landscapes, portraits, and floral still-lifes. She began to sculpt similar Western subjects in 1983. She exhibited her works in Texas, Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico. By 1990 exhibitions included Arizona, Wyoming, South Dakota, California, Colorado, Montana, and Tokyo, Japan. She illustrated five text-books, and was a member of the Pastel Society of America, New York, and the National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic. Living in Littleton and Englewood, Colorado from 1970-1989, she moved to Holt County Nebraska in 1994 with her father James Norris where she acquired the Spanish Bar Ranch in Amelia. James died in 2016 at the Good Samaritan Center in Atkinson at the age of 99.

Nancy was always creatively talented, imaginative and skilled at artistic expression. She loved genealogy, working a ranch, horses and the cowboy lifestyle.

Nancy is survived by her two children, Carol Anne Jellico of Hudson, Colorado, Kenneth Jellico of Littleton, Colorado; seven grandchildren, Heather Dinkel, Rachel Dinkel, Kyrsten Jellico, Nicole Jellico, Broderick Jellico, McKayla Jellico, and Dominick Jellico; seven great grandchildren, Kaiden Martinez, Jessica Martinez, Jayde Martinez, Kylee Gray, Chase Gray, Lilly Gray, Jamie Miller; one sister, Joan Marie Reinacher of Pine Mountain, Georgia; several nieces and nephews.

Nancy was preceded in death by her parents; one daughter, Janice Lee Jellico Stewart in 2002; one sister, Mary Kathryn Long.