Nancy Kilian
Nancy moved to Virginia City Highlands in 2004. She was a city girl and a real girlie girl. She grew up and lived in Minnesota her entire life. She owned her own business and as an interior decorator, designed and decorated some of the finest homes in Minneapolis and its suburbs. She quickly shifted gears upon moving to the Highlands. She volunteered with Virginia Range Wildlife Protection Association (VRWPA) to work with the wild horses. Her first job was shoveling horse manure at a site formerly used for diversionary feeding. She took on any job that she could including aiding rescue efforts, diversionary feeding, fencing, and watering as well as assisting in tending to injured and sick horses on the range in conjunction with the Nevada State Department of Agriculture’s Range Manager. She served on the VRWPA Board of Directors for a many years and in her last few years as President of VRWPA helped lead the non-profit organization to become a more proactive group as the organization fund raised for fencing, clean up, and an expansion of efforts to help all of the wildlife here on the Virginia Range. Nancy, and VRWPA coordinated with the American Wild Horse Campaign as the nation’s first birth control efforts for wild horse mares began here in the Virginia Range. Nancy spent 40 to 50 hours per week as a volunteer riding her ATV across the Highlands, Virginia City, Mound House and Washoe Lake area with her darting Co2 rifle to administer the birth control vaccine. Nancy darted over 1000 mares. Nancy also served as a site steward for the Rock Art Foundation and worked to ensure that the Petroglyphs were maintained, and was a member of Storey County C.E.R.T team from its inception until her passing from cancer in December 2022. Nancy is survived by her husband John and her daughters, Chelsea and Brei.
A life well lived, for certain.
Sandy Tyson
Sandy passed away this summer (2019) and will be remembered for her years of service to VRWPA. She was on the board from 2000 – 2007 as Secretary, Vice President and President. As a volunteer for VRWPA she will be remembered as someone who loved our wild horses. One of the projects she helped with was the Inmate Scholarship Fund, which was the start of the wild horse training program at Warm Springs Prison in Carson City. She helped with fundraising to allow VRWPA to donate equipment and supplies for the prison program. She helped to get the agreement with Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) to have VRWPA act as an agent for adoption of the wild horses.
Her husband Dale made a generous donation to VRWPA in her memory and has agreed to make an annual generous donation for the next 10 years in his Trust.
Her family and friends should be proud of her achievements and passion for our wildlife. We are grateful for her and will have fond memories of Sandy.
Rest in Peace.