MEET ST. ANDREW PARISHIONER NANCY TRUDEL: Embracing Motherhood and the Faith, Fostering Stewardship

Nancy Trudel has no magic solution for raising children in the faith. For her, it can be summed up with a quote from St. Teresa of Calcutta — “if you want to change the world, go home and love your family.”

She and her husband, Todd, have three grown girls. As Nancy reflects on Mother’s Day, she thinks about how proud she is of her daughters.

“I just always knew I wanted to be a mother,” Nancy says. “When God gave me these three beautiful gifts, I knew that’s what I was meant to do.”

Nancy also works as a special education paraprofessional. She has always loved her work and is currently part of a team that works with children with autism.

“I love working with kids,” she says. “I love trying to figure out how to help the kids be their best when they face many challenges. I have a team that I’ve worked with for a lot of years. It’s a great team and a great place to be.”

But for Nancy, being a mother has always been her most important “job.”

“It’s the best thing I have ever done,” she says. “That’s the only way I can describe it.”

Nancy has loved watching Lauren, Allie, and Rachel spread their wings and find their own faith communities. Todd is an optometrist. The couple settled in the Granite Falls area to try it for a few years — 32 years later, they are still here! They’ve loved being part of the St. Andrew’s and the greater community.

“When raising a family, it helps to be surrounded by good people, family, and close friends,” Nancy says.

When her daughters were growing up, Nancy was involved in many ministries. She mostly took a break after the girls were all out of the house. But she greatly enjoyed those years of teaching religious education, coordinating Vacation Bible School, helping with funeral luncheons, and doing what she could for the Fall Fair.

“I still am happy to help when asked,” Nancy says. Nancy and Todd had always encouraged the girls to get involved, whether that was by volunteer babysitting for church events or buying Christmas gifts for a family in need. The girls were also altar servers for many years.

“It’s been fun to see that example come to fruition,” Nancy says. “You don’t always know as a mom if you are doing it right. Now, it’s fun to listen to how they give back and go to their own churches. It feels good when you see them do those things on their own.”

Nancy is the first to admit she isn’t a perfect parent — no one is. She and Todd didn’t have all the answers. But when they didn’t have an answer, they asked.

“We just tried always to do our best and set an example,” Nancy says.

In her free time, Nancy enjoys outdoor vacations, exercising, reading, and visiting the kids.

“I am so proud of my girls,” Nancy says.

Nancy Trudel with her husband, Todd, and their three daughters and son-in-law