Details

Collection Summary
Collection: FND001 - SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Series: Tribute
Folder: DIG
Item: 272035
Title: Nelly Casanova
Date: 10/7/1943-2/1/2026
Creator:
Inscription/Marks: 10/7/1943
Summary: Nelly Casanova, 82, passed away February 1, 2026. A Mass of Christian burial was held February 6, 2026, at Epiphany Catholic Church in Watford City, ND. Nelly was born on October 7, 1943, to Job and Amparo Medina, in Juchipila Zacatecas, Mexico. Nelly was one of the middle children among eight siblings: Humberto, Emma, Jovito, Francisca, Andres, Conrado, and Hugo. Nelly spent her time enjoying nature and the lush greens of her small and quiet little town, nestled in the center of Mexico. She always had a beautiful relationship with her mother, and even as a small little girl helped her mother around the house and took care of her younger siblings while her mother worked sewing for customers and her own children, creating clothes for them; that is how she learned how to create clothes for her own children. Her designs were praised around the neighborhood. Nelly found the love of her life in 1963. While a big road was to be built through her little town, she met Jose Casanova, one of the leads of the Construction and Pavement Company. They fell in love and got married in that same little town, and they went to live for a brief period in Chihuahua City, her young husband’s hometown. As construction was slowing down, the young couple had a dream, a dream of coming to the United States and making their lives better, and they did. Things got brighter for the young couple, who went on to have great success. After years of very hard work, they owned two grocery stores selling Mexican products in Los Angeles, CA. They started a family: their first child, Rocio, was born in 1971, and two years later, another little girl, Elizabeth, followed. Their family was complete. In 1981, they returned to Chihuahua, Mexico, and established their family there. Nelly doted on her daughters and created a beautiful environment where family came first. She helped her husband in any way that she could and always had a beautiful meal for her family. She supported, loved, and cared for them, letting each one know she loved them with abundant kisses and beautiful new dresses sewn with her own tiny hands, even consoling them through heartbreak or cleaning wounds from a bicycle accident. Nelly was a beautiful homemaker that loved her family but most importantly loved Jesus. She had a special devotion for Mother Mary, she carried her in her heart, she taught her daughters about God, and later in life started to walk a more profound relationship with our Lord. She was part of a bible study for many years and enjoyed so much going to Mass on Sundays with her husband. Her daughter Elizabeth married first and brought her first grandchild, Hugo, who was the apple of her eye. Later, she came to assist Rocio while Rocio had her two boys, Tristan and Andrew, and she doted on them as well. She was very proud of her grandchildren and loved them very much. She had one great-grandchild born to Hugo; her name is Zoe. As her husband passed away in 2007, she came to join Rocio’s family in Montana and ultimately in Watford City. As her illness progressed, she was well cared for until the end. She enjoyed the bible studies done at Rocío’s home, attended by some beautiful sisters in Christ from Epiphany Catholic Church. She enjoyed watching her daughter care for her family and always asked if she could be of any help. Nelly even traveled together with Rocío’s family to Chihuahua City every year to see Elizabeth, Hugo, and Zoe. She enjoyed her home in Mexico, and an ice cream cone often brought her immense joy. In the last years of her Parkinson's, incapable of speaking, she still uttered an I love you and thank you. Nelly will be missed by her daughter, Rocio, and her husband Cliff, her daughter, Elizabeth; her grandchildren, Hugo, Tristan, and Andrew; and her great-grandchild, Zoe. She is also survived by one brother, Jesus Medina.
Red ID: FND_I_79530 Image ID: 547840 Image Notes: FND001 272035

Collection: FND001 Digitized Images from Collection
Title: SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Date: -

Summary: The North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program is sponsored by the North Dakota Funeral Directors Association. The life stories of deceased North Dakotans are featured in an archvied collection. Current partners in the project are Eastgate Funeral & Cremation Services, Bismarck Evans Funeral Homes, Carrington and New Rockford Everson-Coughlin Funeral Home, Williston Fulkerson Funeral Home, Tioga Fulkerson Funeral Home, Watford City Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home, Williston Nero Funeral Home, Bottineau Parkway Funeral Service, Bismarck Springan Stevenson Funeral Home, Stanley Stevenson Funeral Home, Dickinson These funeral homes provide recent obituaries to the Foundation, where staff and volunteers format, edit and archive each memorial. The memorials are posted, and copies are sent to the family for their input and approval. The listing currently features more than 13,000 memorials, and is constantly updated as new memorials and histories are received.

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