Nancy Virginia Rekow

Nancy Virginia Steele Rekow passed away on April 11th, eleven days before her 76th birthday.

Nancy was the first child of The Rev. William J and Marion Elizabeth “Sue” (Bogert) Steele, born April 22, 1942 in Wakefield, Gogebic Co., Michigan. She graduated high school in Kewatin, MN, received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Dakota, and her Master’s degree from Oklahoma City University.

She was teaching in Montevideo, MN when she met Gerald C. Rekow at Northland Rec Lab. They were married on September 4, 1966 in Hallock, MN by her father.

In 1969, Nancy moved with her husband to Texas and became a pioneer in the Montessori in Public Schools movement as the first Montessori Kindergarten teacher in the Fort Worth Public Schools. In 1991, her family moved back to Minnesota, and Nancy became an E-1 teacher at Seward Montessori in Minneapolis.

Nancy was passionate about her family and her daughters, Suzanne Claire Rekow (Jack V. McKee) and Emily Marie Caglayan (Mustafa), and was present at the birth of all three grandchildren, Claire Vernette, Derya Guler and Emre Kamil.

She was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by immediate family as well as three brothers, William James Steele (Nadine), John Mark Steele (Sheila) and Paul David Steele (Lacey); and nieces and nephews.