Anne Trott [Nancy] Talmage was born in Wilmington, Delaware, on August 3, 1909, the daughter of Sydney Burnett Trott and Anne Radford (Wood). Nancy's father died when she was quite young and Nancy learned the lessons in courage and steadfastness which would last a lifetime when she watched her mother raise herself and her brother alone. Mrs. Trott used to speak to this writer about her time as a custodian of the birthplace of Woodrow Wilson Museum.

Nancy attended Harrisonburg State Teachers College, and earned her B. S. in 1931. She also did graduate work at Drew University from 1982-83, and attended Virginia Theological Seminary from 1983-84. It can be related that when Nancy was told she must attend one year at V.T.S. before she was to be ordained, there was no question in Doc Talmage's mind about her going, and about his stopping work and going with her! This 'young' couple [ 81 and 74] slept on a mattress on the floor for a year to be together while Nancy finished her studies.

Nancy had worked for a short time, having a career in Social Work, when she met, and subsequently married Dr. William Garland Talmage on May 27, 1938. They were married more than 56 years when Dr. Talmage died on October 27, 1994, and was buried on November 2, 1994, All Soul's Day. In the Sanctuary of Saint Dunstan's that day, for the reading of the Burial Office and the Eucharist, were three Bishops. The Rector, Robert Mason, preached the homily.

The Talmages have two children: Anne Margaret, the mother of Victoria and Maria Janette, who has always been called Dee Dee. The other daughter is Garland, who married Anthony Riggs in 1967 in Saint Dunstan's Parish in front of the largest congregation ever to attend a service in that Church. This couple has one child, Elizabeth. Nancy also has two great-grandsons, grandchildren of Anne.

One of the founding families of Saint Dunstan's mission in 1963, Dr. and Mrs. Talmage were central figures in the leadership of the congregation. Mrs. Talmage often served as a member of the Executive Committee [the governing body of a mission, as a Vestry governs a parish]. Often the Executive Committee meetings were held at the Talmage home. This was true of the meeting in which The Rev. Robert Mason was introduced to the congregation in the summer of 1967. During those early years of the mission, Nancy's mother, Anne Trott, although unable to participate actively in parish activities due to physical limitations, was still a voice of wisdom which was often sought out and heeded by both the first and second Vicars of Saint Dunstan's.

It was through the influence of Nancy Talmage that Saint Dunstan's established and maintained a relationship with the Convent of Saint John Baptist in Mendham, NJ. The congregation serenaded the sisters each year with Christmas carols and many of the children of the area benefited by the presence of Sister Suzanne Elizabeth [former Mother Superior] and Sister Barbara Jean [now an ordained priest and Mother Superior] at the annual Vacation Bible School held each summer at Saint Dunstan's.

Nancy became very active as a Lay Reader at Saint Dunstan's and helped initiate the nursing home outreach ministry of the parish. Today services are conducted every Sunday with a Eucharist being distributed once each month at a local nursing home, and additional services are being conducted at another nursing home on the fourth and fifth Sunday of every month.

Nancy became a central figure in the Lay Readers Association of the Diocese of Newark. She also decided to improve her theological knowledge level by attending a lengthy series of studies with a group called the "Bishop's Bunch." Upon graduation she was awarded a tippet, indicating her right to preach sermons of her own composing.

After attending a number of conferences on Christian Education, including one in which becoming a Christian clown made a deep impression, Nancy decided to accept her call to become an ordained clergy person in the Episcopal Church. Her Rector and her Bishop supported her decision with gladness and helped her to fulfill this dream.

Nancy was ordained deacon in June 1984 by The Rt. Rev. John S. Spong, Bishop of Newark, at Trinity Cathedral, Newark. Symbolic of the constant mutual support which characterized the relationship between Nancy and "her" Rector is the little known fact that when she was presented for ordination to the Diaconate, Nancy's left knee was in terrible shape and her Rector had a bad right knee, so the pair had to lean upon each other all the way down the cathedral aisle.

Ordained priest by Bishop Spong in St. Dunstan's Church, December 1984 at the age of 75, Nancy was the second oldest woman ever to be ordained at the time. She was appointed by Bishop Spong as chaplain of Ridgewood Nursing Home and concentrated her ministry on many who were younger than she.

A story is told about her first Eucharist at Ridgewood. Nancy noticed two communicants whispering between their wheelchairs. When she came to give them communion, she was told that they wanted to commune in only one element. But, when Nancy offered the wafer, she was emphatically told, "We just want the wine." Nancy, always sensitive to others, met the communicant's terms. When she informed the Bishop, he agreed with her decision.

Much of her ministry was concerned with the nursing home ministry of the Diocese of Newark. She maintained that ministry until her health absolutely made it impossible.

After recently suffering a series of strokes, Nancy returned to the very room at Heath Village where she and her beloved husband had spent their first year.

Although partially paralyzed and unable to carry on a conversation, she retained her sense of humor and example-setting peacefulness until the end. Nancy joined the ministers at the heavenly table on Friday, February 13, 1998, and when she can take time off from serving the Lord, she dances again with her beloved Bill, in a heavenly waltz.

"We seem to give our beloved Nancy back to you, Dear God, who gave her to us, but we have not lost her by her return. Not as the world gives do you give, O Lover of souls, for what you give you take not away; for what is yours is ours always, if we are yours. And life is eternal, and love is immortal and death is only a horizon, and a horizon is nothing more than the limit of our sight. We pray to you O merciful God to lift us up that we may see further, wipe our eyes that we may see more clearly and while we wait to join with those who have gone before, make us rest assured in your love, and their love. All of this we ask through our Lord, Jesus Christ." AMEN

" Heavenly Father we offer to you praise for the blessed example of all of those saints you have provided for our example of what it is to be truly human. We bless your Holy Name for Jesus, the Christ, who is the unique paradigm, and our Savior, and we give thanks for Saint Dunstan, our Parish patron saint, and to this great number of witnesses to your loving kindness we thank you for the life among us of Nancy Talmage. She brought to those of us with whom she came into contact a true vision of your love and your holiness. May she live forever in the light of your glory." AMEN