Nancy L. Buckmaster, age 78, of Brookings, died Wednesday, June 30, 2010, at Avera-McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls. Memorial services will be held at 2:00 P.M. Saturday, July 3, 2010, at First Presbyterian Church in Brookings. Memorials may be directed to the Communication Service for the Deaf in Sioux Falls.

Nancy Lee (Sorenson) Buckmaster was born November 9, 1931, at Aberdeen, South Dakota, to Hans and Alvilda (Myre) Sorenson. She attended the first through fifth grades in Watertown and sixth through twelfth grades in Erwin, where she graduated in 1950. She was active in 4-H in high school and served as a student body officer. She attended SDSU for two years and was chosen homecoming queen in 1952. She attended Gallaudet College for a year and a half, where she was active in Delta Epsilon Sorority.

On March 17, 1956, she married her college sweetheart, John Buckmaster, in Brookings. The couple lived in Colorado before moving to the Erwin, South Dakota, area where they operated a family potato farm and small grain business. In recent years, the Buckmasters lived in Brookings. John died August 2, 1999.

Nancy had a strong interest in arts and crafts, and taught folk arts and crafts at various camps in Wisconsin, Idaho, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Colorado. She exhibited crafts and Scandinavian embroidery at several venues. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church; the SDSU Fine Arts Club; Chapter BP, P.E.O.; the Norwegian American Museum at Decorah, Iowa; and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Society at DeSmet. Nancy belonged to many hearing impairment
associations, and she was one of the founders of the National Deaf Womens Bowling Association. She was chair of the Meadowlark movie group at Erwin. She enjoyed her many travels with her mother and later in life with a friend.

Survivors include cousins and friends from a wide area.