Nancy Renee (Williams) Backues, age 48 of Ozark, Missouri passed away in her home on Friday, July 30, 2021, after a courageous battle with cancer, surrounded by loved ones who will continue to honor her legacy.

Nancy was born to Pastor Randy and Diana (Rippeto) Williams on September 9, 1972, in Kansas City, Kansas. Her childhood years were spent in Marysville, Kansas and then moved back to Kansas City area until attending Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri. Nancy graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music in 1994. She worked in the Springfield area, many of those years at Assemblies of God national headquarters.

On October 26, 2002, she was united in marriage to Steven Paul Backues in Ozark, Missouri at James River Church.

Once Nancy and Steve became parents to Olivia in 2005 and Levi in 2007, Nancy focused on being a mom and also embraced her passion of writing by becoming a freelance writer, author and speaker. Nancy loved to selflessly pour her time into her family and friends as well as the church. For 25 plus years, Nancy volunteered in the many youth ministries as well as the prayer ministry at James River Church. Many lives were impacted by Nancy throughout that time.

Nancy loved books, loved walks, loved conversation and simply loved people. She was a wonderful wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, granddaughter and friend to so many.

In 2010, Nancy was diagnosed with a rare cancer. For 11 years she battled this disease with grace. She lived always in hope and never in fear and faced the battle with a steadfast courage. She was an inspiration to many. Fighting cancer took time away from family and after praying for a way to get that time back after treatments, the answer came in the form of homeschool. Nancy quickly developed a passion for home education and found a wonderful community that shared that passion. Great friendships were made, and many kids lives were impacted because of how Nancy embraced this new passion.

Nancy is survived by her husband Steve; daughter Olivia and son Levi; her grandmother Betty Rippeto; her parents Pastor Randy and Diana Williams; her two sisters Melissa Williams and her husband Bryan, and Carmen Simpson and her husband Jim; loving family members and a host of friends.

Tribute by husband Steve Backues

On July 30th, my beautiful bride of more than 18 years, passed away. Nancy was the most amazing person on the planet. She was my hero. She was my soulmate, my everything and the love of my life. She was so kind and gentle and funny and incredibly sarcastic. She was also strong, confident, bold and a warrior. She was an incredible mom to our kids. She spent much of her life selflessly pouring into others. I was able to see it all firsthand. She was truly the most genuine person I’d ever met.

I can’t put into words what this loss feels like, but my heart is so heavy.

Many of you know that Nancy was diagnosed with a rare cancer over 10 years ago. I want you to know that she never placed her identity in being a cancer patient. She found her identity in being a child of God. This disease has a way of putting priorities in life into perspective. The things that truly matter are amplified and the rest falls away.

This focus allowed Nancy to do something special… she was able to show people, many people, what it looks like to walk through a trial.

She stood strong, and because of that strength she stayed full of hope, kept her mind fixed on the promises of God’s word, worshipped with passion, fervently prayed and she simply inspired people by daily walking out her faith. God used her in an amazing way. While many may have seen it as her own human strength, Nancy would want you to know that the strength was not her own. It was strength that God granted to her.

Nancy understood where true joy was found. When you know Jesus is the source of joy, then … please hear this…. nothing, no circumstance or disease, or anything this world will throw at you, can remove that joy.

I will miss her so much. I’m a better man for having had the honor and privilege to be right by her side. Our kids have an incredible legacy because of her.

Thanks for all the encouragement, condolences, prayers and all-around kindness you have lavished upon my family. It is both beautiful and overwhelming.

Please keep us in your prayers. Especially for our kids. God bless.

This was one of Nancy’s favorite verses…

“I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.”  Psalm 16:8

Services for Nancy Renee Backues will be at 11:00 am Wednesday, August 4, 2021 at Clark Chapel/James River South Campus 6100 N 19th St, Ozark, MO 65721 with visitation from 10:00 to 11:00 am prior to the service. Arrangements are under the care of Greenlawn Funeral Home East.