Nancy Braun

MOUNT HOREB, Wis. - It is with great sadness to announce that Nancy Carol Braun, age 64, of Mount Horeb, Wis., passed away on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020, from breast cancer. Nancy was born and grew up in Algoma, Wis. She had careers at the Madison VA Hospital, in mortgage banking, but found her passion in the hair salon industry where she expressed her artistic talent, and where she owned and operated her own business for nearly 30 years. Her return to the salon industry presented one day where she met a new client, Herb Jabs of Madison, Wis. In their first meeting, there was something special about their first encounter. Herb increased his haircut frequency after meeting her and they often talked about music, bands, life experiences, and shared in laughter during their appointments. A day came where Nancy had contacted Herb over the phone and asked if he would be interested in seeing a band in town. When they arrived to the venue, Nancy had the wrong time of the event and the band had since left. But this gave them an opportunity to learn more about each other and marked the beginning of a beautiful, magical, and loving relationship. In 1997, they were married in her hometown of Algoma, resided in Madison, then built their home in Mount Horeb in 2000. Nancy was an incredible person where words fall short to capture her full essence. She was able to tap into a realm beyond our physical selves and to live a life that was of clean energy and of strong spirit and will. She was very inquisitive and not shy about topics that most people would not entertain or think about. She was naturally compassionate, understanding, and inspired others to find that place in their hearts to grow from within. It was not uncommon that when she landed on something interesting, her home was filled with stacks of library books that she read at a feverish pace. Animals were a soft spot for her. When in their presence you would see her get lost in their essence and try to make some kind of deep connection. She provided a voice for them when she felt that they needed one. Her small stature did not stop her from taking action when she came across a distressed animal. She was very much in touch with the wonders of nature, relished its sounds and the smell of the woods in each of their seasons, and the smell of a fresh fall harvest from the farm fields nearby. Creativity was deep inside of her. She was self-taught on the piano, created a number of pastel and watercolor works of art, and took liberty of abstraction to give her freedom to express herself. She also took interest in crafting art works with antique materials or natural items such as feathers, bone, stone, textiles and print. She and her husband, Herb, often visited antique shops throughout their travels, as well as rock shops where she collected various crystals and stone works. Her eye and senses were attracted to interesting pieces that had an energy, a life, or something about the shape, weight, color, or history that captured a time in motion. One amazing part of her was how she retained and expressed her childhood charm and her mischievous humor. Nancy would let out her kid from inside and always found a humorous moment. She loved that same kind of spirit within her husband and they often laughed together uncontrollably, gasping for air. Together they found the lighter side of life and shared in fun moments daily, even during her challenges with cancer. There was not one day that passed without her expressing her love and her gratitude. She felt great joy with her marriage and her life. Her mantra was that if you dream out loud, your dreams will be heard, and your dreams will eventually become true. "We are living the dream" she often expressed to her husband, where her dream was to be happy, to be safe, to be in love, to be loved, and where nothing else mattered in the grand scheme of life. She remained happy and in love into her passing, and continues to spread her love and encouragement in her new life. She was preceded in death by her mother, Mildred “Millie” Braun and father, Einhart Braun. She is survived by her husband, Herb Jabs; sister, Ardith Gilreath and her partner, Dale Seiler; nephew, Jeff Gilreath and his wife, Shannon along with their two daughters, Eila and Brielle; her niece, Emily Gilreath and her two sons, William and David; nephew, Davey Gilreath and his wife, Mindy along with their two daughters, Rynn and Willa; Herb's parents, Erwin and Kathe Jabs; his brother, Wally Jabs and his wife, Michelle with their two daughters, Cece and Keeley; his sister, Erika Esser and her husband, Keith; and his aunt, Hilda Jeschke. Nancy had requested that no funeral services be performed and her remains to be cremated. A private celebration of life is forthcoming when gatherings are deemed safe. She has asked that any donations be made to the Columbia County Humane Society. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson Camacho Mount Horeb Funeral & Cremation Care 500 N. Eighth St. (608) 437-5077