Salmon man shares wife’s legacy as ‘The Pie Lady’ after both are given devastating diagnoses
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SALMON — A Salmon man on hospice care is raising money “one slice at a time” for ALS research after his wife was diagnosed with the condition. She is now also receiving end-of-life care.
After meeting in elementary school in Salmon in the late 1950s, Jon and Nancy Gott-Cummings lived very different adult lives.
According to Jon, both went to school together throughout their childhoods, but one snowy July changed that course.
“One day, on the Fourth of July, it snowed about six inches. So (Nancy) moved to the Virgin Islands,” says Jon. “She was there for about 15 years.”
Needing a break from the cold Idaho winters, Nancy moved to St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands in the late ’70s. Nancy’s father, Irman Gott, owned a bakery in Salmon for over 40 years and, according to Jon, taught her the art of making the perfect pie.
So, she did. And for nearly two decades, Nancy owned a bakery in the Virgin Islands and provided desserts to over 20 luxury resorts on the island.
“They called her the Pie Lady,” says Jon.
During her time in the islands, Nancy created a new life for herself, meeting life-long friends and eventually going by the nickname “Pie.”
“Nancy’s desserts were featured in all the best restaurants and cafes in St. Croix. Banana Cream, Coconut Cream, and oh my word, the Key Lime,” says the foundation website. “She made many cakes and cookies and holiday specialty items, but the pies were famous, and if you wanted a slice, you really needed to hit up your favorite spot on delivery day.”
Eventually, Nancy decided it was time to move back to the mountains and began by taking a trip back to Salmon to visit her parents.
“I hadn’t seen her in 19 years. She came home to see her folks, I came home to see mine, and we met up again,” says Jon. “And here we are 32 years later.”
Together, Jon and Nancy opened a bed-and-breakfast called the 100 Acre Wood Lodge in the heart of Salmon. Nancy continued to bake, often taking care of the nearby wildland firefighters with the cure for any long day — a slice of pie.
“Thousands of people, including the wildland firefighters that Jon and Nancy have so lovingly looked after, have known the joy of Nancy’s pies,” says the website.
The couple continued in the bed and breakfast space, hand in hand, until 2017, when they sold the hotel, and Jon was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer.
“There’s no cure for it,” says Jon.
“I had a bone marrow transplant and went on chemo and all that stuff and went into remission,” says Jon. “But it’s all back now.”
Seven years later, Nancy began experiencing strange symptoms.
“About two and a half years ago, Nancy started slurring her words, and we couldn’t figure out what was going on,” says Jon. “It took us six months to get it diagnosed as ALS.”
In 2024, Nancy was diagnosed with ALS, or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, which is a terminal neurodegenerative disease that progressively destroys brain and spinal cord function.
“That was a big blow,” says Jon. “As it has progressed quite a ways now, where she can’t speak, eat, walk or that kind of stuff … we wanted to have a legacy for her.”
It was then that the Nancy Gott-Cummings Foundation for ALS was formed, with a mission to preserve her legacy.
“The legacy of Nancy’s pies will continue as a fundraiser for the ALS foundation, with 100% of the profits going directly to research and assistance for patients who are struggling with ALS,” says the website.
So far, they’ve helped around 20 ALS patients with medical bills and much-needed supplies.
“(Nancy is) terribly funny, irreverent, stubborn as a mule, shoots straight from the hip and is often rather naughty,” says the website. “She’s a marvelous friend, supportive and kind, while always telling it like it is. In the face of a devastating diagnosis, she remains strong and optimistic and true to herself.”
In an effort to continue raising money for research and assistance, Jon is currently organizing a fundraising raffle in partnership with the Eagles Lodge and Wild Side Sports.
Many of the raffle prizes are connected to the heart of a typical Idahoan’s soul, such as a brand new Can-Am 1000 Side-By Side, a steelhead fishing trip, a whitewater rafting trip and a two-night stay at Rivers Fork Lodge in North Fork, Idaho.
But perhaps most sentimentally, there is the opportunity to buy a rare “slice” of jewelry, handmade by a friend of Nancy’s in the Virgin Islands.
“Nancy’s good friend and celebrated St. Croix jeweler Mitchell Ousley created the Pie bracelet in the style of the famous St. Croix hook to remind us all of the many good days and excellent times we have been privileged to enjoy with Nancy,” says the website. “Not to mention the delicious pies. It’s a cheeky little bracelet with a generous slice of pie for a clasp.”
Multiple pieces of pie jewelry are for sale on the website, with all proceeds going to ALS research and patient support.
“We hope you will help us celebrate a remarkable woman and join the fight against ALS,” says the website. “A pie bracelet is meant to lift your spirits and make you smile. Because whose day isn’t made a bit brighter at the very thought of pie?”
The fundraiser will be held in December at the Wild Side Sports Showroom in Salmon. You do not need to be present to win, and out-of-state buyers are welcome.
Click here for more information about Nancy, the foundation, ticket sales and the fundraiser.