Late editor's family gives Fig Tree major gift

As part of The Fig Tree's 40th anniversary, the family of the late former editor Nancy Minard—who died Jan. 29 in Portland and was laid to rest June 15 in Spokane—gave a $10,000 donation to start a long-term investment/endowment fund for The Fig Tree.

It was given in recognition of her commitment to the mission of The Fig Tree and with the hopes that others would join in long-term gifts.

For 14 years after Nancy and her husband Jim moved to Spokane in 1998 to care for their mothers, Nancy brought to The Fig Tree editing, writing and editorials her knowledge from more than 20 years as a reference librarian in Montclair and Verona, N.J.

When she started attending Veradale United Church of Christ (UCC), the pastor had encouraged her to be involved with the Spokane Council of Ecumenical Ministries (SCEM).

After The Fig Tree became an independent nonprofit in 2000, Nancy chose to be involved with it and was on its first board in 2001.

Nancy spent her early childhood in northern New York, and then she moved with her family to Hanford, then to the Olympic Peninsula and later to Renton.

Nancy completed a bachelor's degree in journalism and education in 1958 at Whitworth College and taught for two years in Bellevue before marrying Jim, whom she met at Whitworth. His graduate studies and postdoctoral sleep research took them to Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

After returning to Spokane, when she visited her mother in a care facility in Newport, Nancy would deliver The Fig Tree to churches there.

At Veradale UCC, Nancy helped in the office. She also taught basketmaking for an after-school class at the church and during summers at N-Sid-Sen, the UCC camp on Lake Coeur d'Alene. She pointed out that, just as learning to swim, canoe and water ski at camp can build confidence, completing a basket can develop confidence and competence.

She valued the friendships with Fig Tree editors and appreciated the dedication of Sr. Bernadine Casey, SNJM, who in her final days of life still helped edit the May 2007 issue.

Nancy was part of The Fig Tree family in Spokane until 2012, when she and Jim moved to Portland to live next door to two of their grandchildren. For a while, she continued to help edit.

"I wrote editorials from books I read or the conversations I had," said Nancy, who appreciated writing about nonprofits, which "take responsibility for some of the country's biggest problems as more is dumped on them."

She believed that it required faith to work for nonprofits, "even if it's not overt faith," she said. "Stories of faith in action are often about volunteer service with nonprofits."

Through the years, Nancy's interactions with her grandchildren and observations through their eyes gave her insights into some of the "obviosities" about our faith, society, economy, politics and lives.

Nancy had a knack for catching and correcting facts from her knowledge of history and current events, said editor Mary Stamp.

"The Fig Tree's approach is refreshing. It's not about getting saved and living happily ever after, but about what people do because of their faith," said Nancy. "People come up with ingenious ways to be of service."

Nancy shared her wisdom and challenged with a twist of humor.

The Fig Tree compiled some of the editorials she wrote from 2004 to 2012 on a range of topics. The following are some of her thoughts.

• Educating and empowering women raises economic productivity, reduces infant mortality, aid health and nutrition, and opens opportunities for future generations.

• Fig Tree editing began with random stories. As editing progressed, connections among the articles emerged, showing how pieces fit together.

• Even in a tight economy, congregations find ways to assist in disaster areas long after mainstream media turn to other issues. 

• Behavior lessons that children learn in kindergarten—"be kind, be fair and be responsible"—apply in response to national economic woes.

• In public discourse, people can disagree without being disagreeable and people of faith need to foster safe, civil and sacred spaces for discourse.

• Issues are interconnected. With immigration policy, health care, high unemployment, food insecurity and increasing demands on food banks, life resembles the domino game: jiggling one small element affects the others.

• Caution is needed when seven politicians or pundits repeat the same talking points: Then words can become inflammatory rhetoric.

• Some words enter the realm of uselessness because of misuse.  Language is always changing.

• "We will suffer less if we share our wealth in money, goods and love."

• "Enough" is about the theology of the abundance of God's love and care.  In U.S. society, advertising tries to convince people they don't have enough of anything "except the shortcomings their products can cure."

• Too often young adults judge churches' hypocrisy before knowing stories of hope from the many ways people live their faith.

Donations are welcome to add to the major gift from Nancy's family to start a long-term investment/endowment fund to sustain support for The Fig Tree's mission well into the future.

These remembrances of Nancy's life were compiled by Mary Stamp, editor, from articles and editorials in The Fig Tree.