Nancy Twitchell

Nancy Susan Underwood Twitchell, 77, passed away peacefully on September 29, 2026, in Cedar City, Utah, where her daughter and son had been by her side for several days.

Nancy was born on September 26, 1949, at Queen of Angels Hospital in Los Angeles, California, to Charles Milton Underwood and Kathryn Janette Carson. She grew up in Southern California, primarily in Simi Valley, and graduated from Simi Valley High School. She later attended Brigham Young University in Provo and Southern Utah University.

Nancy married Leonard Dwight Bales in 1969 in Los Angeles. Together they had two children, a daughter, Rebecca Suzanne Bales, and a son, Adam Carson Bales. They later divorced. Nancy later married Leon Twitchell; they also divorced.

Nancy lived a life of faith, hard work, and service. She loved the Lord deeply and was always looking for ways to help others, especially those less fortunate. One of her favorite ways to show love was through food, particularly her homemade fudge.

Nancy was an exceptionally hard worker. She raised her two children, Rebecca and Adam, as a single mother for much of their childhood and worked tirelessly to provide for them. Over the years, she held many jobs, from housekeeping and restaurant work to professional and administrative positions. She taught her children to work hard, treat people with respect, and do what needed to be done.

Nancy was bright, articulate, outgoing, and genuinely interested in people. She could strike up a conversation with almost anyone and connect with people from all walks of life.

Writing was one of Nancy's greatest talents. For more than 25 years, from 1979 to 2005, she worked for the Garfield County News, beginning as a reporter and eventually becoming editor. She covered communities throughout Garfield County, attended public meetings and court proceedings, interviewed countless people, took photographs, and helped produce the newspaper each week. Her work received numerous awards and recognition, and she took great pride in helping people understand what was happening in the communities she served.

Nancy's working life was varied. She worked at Bryce Canyon National Park as an administrative specialist and personnelist, in the emergency department at Kane County Hospital, and managed and cooked Dutch oven meals at Frontier Movie Town in Kanab. Whatever the job, she brought determination, dependability, and a strong work ethic.

Her commitment to her community extended beyond employment. Nancy served as president of the Garfield Memorial Health Care Foundation, served on the Garfield County Travel Council, and participated in other community and health-care organizations.

In her later years, Nancy lived in Kanab, Utah, where she became involved with Rivers of Life Church. Her faith remained central to her life, and she continued helping others and supporting charities.

Nancy faced health challenges in her later years but rarely complained. Even when she did not feel her best, she carried on with determination and resilience.

Above all, Nancy loved her family. She was the mother of two children, grandmother of seven, and great-grandmother of seven. The lessons she taught through her life—faith, generosity, perseverance, hard work, and compassion—will continue through the generations.

Nancy is survived by her daughter, Rebecca (Chris) Chappell; her son, Adam (Stacey) Bales; seven grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sisters, Christine Schoppe Wauls, Kathy (Darryl) Gomez, and Susan (Chris) Wortmann; and her brother, Bob (Lori) Breslauer.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles Milton Underwood and Kathryn Janette Carson; her stepmother, Nancy Underwood; her sister, Kathleen Thomas; her brother, David Underwood; her stepbrother, Larry Thomas; and her brother-in-law, Pete Wauls.

Nancy will be remembered for her deep faith, strength, determination, gift with words, incredible work ethic, and generous heart. She leaves behind a family who will miss her dearly and a legacy of quietly serving others.

Services for Nancy will be held at a later date.

Cremation will be held at the Magleby Mortuary Cremation Center. Funeral Directors: Magleby Mortuary, Richfield, Salina, and Manti