Nora Sue Ernst

Nora Sue (Wilford) Ernst, aged 71, passed away on October 16, 2014, at Mesilla Valley Hospice. She was surrounded by her family and loving husband of 51 years. Nora was born on September 22, 1943 in Chicago, Illinois to Charles Richard (Dick) Wilford and Mary Evelyn (McGarrity) Wilford, and grew up in the Chicago area, together with her sisters Jane (Wilford) Sorensen and Laura Wilford. She attended Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, Iowa, where she met her future husband, Marvin Leslie Ernst. They were married on June 15, 1963 and together they raised three daughters: Leslie Elizabeth, Alicia Elaine, and Andrea Evelyn. During her lifetime, Nora earned multiple academic degrees in the field of Educational Research. Nora earned a B.S. degree in English from Westmar College, LaMars, IA, a M.Ed. from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, OK, and a Ph.D. in Educational Research and Evaluation from North Texas State University. Throughout her career she held many roles in education, impacting countless students, educators, and professionals. She served as Director of Marketing at Northern Colorado Medical Center, Assistant Professor of Continuing Education at Southwest Medical School in Dallas, TX, and Director of Institutional Research at Chattanooga State Technical Community College in Chattanooga, TN. She continued to teach statistics and research methodologies throughout her active career. Nora lived in eight different states and eventually settled in Las Cruces, NM, in 2011 to spend retirement near family. She travelled extensively both within the US and Europe and enjoyed recent trips to Alaska and Panama. She was an avid lifelong reader, enjoyed crafting and quilting, playing cards and cooking new gourmet recipes and loved spending time with her husband and family. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her three daughters, six grandchildren, and sister. A private memorial service was held in Las Cruces followed by cremation. PDF Printable Version