“The number one thing in my life is my faith in Christ,” says 74-year-old Nancy Jo Zier.

“That’s way above anything else.”

She said Jesus has given her strength throughout her life, even through the terribly hard death of her adored husband, Stanley Zier, years ago.

“My heart went beep beep beep the first time I met him and it still went beep beep beep 23 years later when he died,” said Nancy.

Nancy grew up in Pasco, Washington, across the river from Hanford, and lived with her husband in Southern Calif., moving alone to Orcas in 1982. There she became a realtor and ran her own business, the Bell-Anderson Insurance agency, for over twenty years.

Nancy enjoys taking on physical challenges with a special group of friends in their seventies. Among their latest exploits are kayaking around Orcas Island and swimming across Cascade Lake.

“Every year we need a challenge, and I’m about to put one together for this summer,” said Nancy.

She also enjoys singing with the Orcas Island Songbirds senior choir.

Nancy counts it an “absolute blessing and miracle” to have all three of her grown children close by, as well as “four absolutely perfect, great grandchildren on the island.” Daughter Shan Morrison and son Marty Zier live on Orcas, and son Brent Zier lives in Seattle.

“That life path is not wide and easy, it’s narrow and rocky and bumpy and hilly and slippery, but you can walk it with your faith in Christ. Life gives us many experiences where we can either fall apart or grow, and I decided that I’m going to grow until I die. I’m going to be 75 and I’m darn proud of it. As far as I’m concerned life is still good,” said Nancy.