Nancy Jean Hamilton

Nancy Jean (Lahti) Hamilton, 85, died Tuesday, June 13, 2023, in St. Paul, MN. Nancy was born Oct. 9, 1937, the only child of Pearl and Thomas Lahti.

Throughout her life Nancy was proud of her 100 percent Finnish heritage and demonstrated the famous Finn independence and drive or "sisu." Nancy spent her earliest years in rather remarkable conditions, toddling around a rustic Upper Peninsula logging camp where her father was a crew boss. The family later moved to Ironwood, MI, where her father and mother owned a grocery store. She graduated from Luther L High School in Ironwood, then moved out into the world, doing office work and working in health care in suburban Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis. She married Ben Hamilton, of Wakefield, MI, in 1961, becoming stepmom to his four children: Duane, Georgia, Lyle and Chere. (Duane preceded her in death but is survived by his wife, Janice; daughters Loretta and Jayme; sons Duane Jr. and Derrick; and grandchildren Ben and McKenzie.)

Nancy and Ben had one child together, son Tom, in 1962. Before long, the family moved to Libby, MT, where Ben worked as a logger on the Libby Dam project. Returning to the Upper Peninsula years later, Nancy worked at several jobs including the Range Co-Op before joining the family business, Lahti Chevrolet, as a bookkeeper. She earned her associates degree from Gogebic Community College while in her forties and was an early adopter of computer knowledge, becoming one of the first people in her town to buy and learn how to use a personal computer. She also took adult education classes in woodworking. Nancy was a talented artist, bowler and golfer, achieving the much-coveted hole-in-one.

Ben and Nancy moved to Fort Collins, CO, in 1984 to be near Tom and his wife Shari. They embraced the milder weather and life out West. They quickly found a church and played for fun in a senior citizen "kitchen band," entertaining at nursing homes and other venues. They traveled to Europe and even visited ancestral sites in Finland. They were inseparable and one was rarely seen without the other.

Ben and Nancy enjoyed 39 years of marriage before he passed away in 2000. After becoming a widow, Nancy relocated to Minnesota to be closer to family. She greatly enjoyed her friend group in White Bear Lake, especially playing card games. She used her art skills to make beautiful greeting cards for friends and family. For many years she made a birthday card for each of the appropriately 55 people in her apartment, making sure no one was forgotten on his or her birthday. She enjoyed keeping up with family members living in other states through cards, calls and social media.

Recently Nancy's declining health informed her decision to move from independent senior living in White Bear Lake into the nursing home at Lyngblomsten. While there, she continued to stay current with family news, enjoying visits from family, especially her granddaughters, Alyssa and Sierra, and her young great grandsons, Lucian and Finnegan. Her always quick mind stayed sharp until the end; in her last week of life she was teaching her granddaughters new Finnish words and still encouraging global family travels.

Nancy was a long-time member of St. Stephen Lutheran Church in White Bear Lake. A celebration of life will be held in July.