Born in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts, Nancy (Shipman) Huerta is the daughter of William and Olive Shipman. Her family lineage includes branches of the New England Lothrop and Stetson families. She arrived in the summer of 1948 to Tucson, Arizona and attended Tucson High School. She and her high school sweetheart, John L. Huerta, married and have been blessed with six wonderful children and several grandchildren.