Albert Lea residents are remembering a former business leader and community advocate after she died last week following a battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Nancy VanderWaerdt, 67, was a State Farm insurance agent in Albert Lea for over 30 years and was involved in numerous organizations, including the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce foundation board, United Way of Freeborn County, Riverland Community College Foundation, Lions Club and Albert Lea’s Business and Professional Women’s group, to name a few.

VanderWaerdt and her husband, Richard, had moved to Albert Lea from Fairmont.

She died Nov. 17.

“She’s going to be missed by many,” said Albert Lea resident Jean Eaton. “Albert Lea couldn’t have had a better cheerleader.”

Eaton said she and VanderWaerdt had both a personal and professional friendship.

Eaton said their sons swam together on the high school swim team, and the two women worked together with the United Way and the Riverland Community College Foundation.

“She was so generous to this community with her time and talents,” Eaton said. “If you wanted something organized, you went to Nancy.”

The two women also collaborated for the Miss Albert Lea pageant and coached Miss Albert Lea Brenda Armstrong, who became Miss Minnesota and then competed in the Miss America pageant.

VanderWaerdt, who had previously been Miss Reno and runner-up in the Miss Nevada contest, was also the runner-up Ms. Senior Minnesota in 2014. She was known for her baton twirling and was a vibrant woman with great poise and character, Eaton said.

Judy Verdoorn, who served with VanderWaerdt on many boards, described VanderWaerdt as someone who was active in the community and who was always willing to help out.

“She was a very, very good person,” Verdoorn said. “I can’t say enough good about her.”

The two women were part of the local Business and Professional Women group, which has since disbanded.

She said she learned from VanderWaerdt how good it makes a person feel to be involved in the community.

“It’s such a loss for everyone who knew her,” Verdoorn said. “She will be sorely missed.”

Former District 27A state Rep. Dan Dorman, the executive director of Greater Minnesota Partnership, said when he first moved back to Albert Lea in 1989, he knew VanderWaerdt because he bought insurance from her.

He credited VanderWaerdt for helping him get involved civically, and for ultimately helping him run for office.

He said she was his campaign manager once, and he tried to get her to run for office a couple times.

“What I appreciated about her was work she did with the chamber — locally, at the state level and in Washington, D.C.,” Dorman said. “Whatever she did, she just poured her heart and soul into it.”

He said VanderWaerdt was a longtime chamber ambassador and was on the chamber board before he was.

“She could see the beauty in Albert Lea that sometimes the people who grew up here could not see,” Dorman said.

Amy Rehnelt said she started working for VanderWaerdt at State Farm Insurance in 1987 and described VanderWaerdt as more like a second mom to her than a boss.

“She was a remarkable person — very driven, motivated, just loved her work,” Rehnelt said. “She was extremely giving of her time and money.”

Rehnelt said she spent the day in Rochester with VanderWaerdt and her son the day VanderWaerdt died.

“I know we already miss her, and we always will,” Rehnelt said. “She was a huge part of my life and the State Farm family.”

She said VanderWaerdt would want people to learn from this experience to appreciate every day they have.

Ann Austin, executive director of United Way of Freeborn County, said she served on the Chamber Foundation Board with VanderWaerdt, as well as some other boards.

“She tried to involve herself in as many things as possible because she really cared about the community, and she really cared about helping people,” Austin said. “She was a genuinely good person, and she genuinely cared about others.”

A Tribune editorial dated May 18, 2005, congratulated VanderWaerdt for being chosen as Citizen of the Year by the citizenship committee of District 241.

“There are few people who have done as much for the community as VanderWaerdt has,” it states. “She’s stepped into many areas of the community where she’s been needed: her church, the school district, the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce, Albert Lea Lions Club, the Albert Lea Business and Professional Women and more.

“VanderWaerdt didn’t get where she is today by simply going to work each day. She got there by assessing what she could do to help better the community in which she lives — and then doing it. And along the way, she’s pretty nice to people.”

VanderWaerdt’s memorial service is slated for 1 p.m. Saturday at Christ Episcopal Church in Albert Lea. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday and one hour before the service at the church.