Linda Kathryn (Nelson) Dekat, 81, formerly of West Point, NE, died Monday, December 19, 2022, at Kingsley Specialty Care in Kingsley, Iowa. A funeral mass will be held at 10:30.a.m. Wednesday, December 21, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in West Point, NE, with Reverend James Weeder as celebrant with burial at St. Michael’s Cemetery. The funeral will be live streamed on the Stokely Funeral Home Facebook page at facebook.com/stokelyfuneralhome. Visitation starts at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 21. A rosary will be held before the funeral service at 9:45 a.m. Arrangements by Stokely Funeral Home of West Point.

Linda was born April 2, 1941, during a blizzard in a farm house near Lyons, NE, to Roland and Kathryn Nelson. She was kept warm in a shoebox on a wood burning stove. Her father trained racehorses, so her childhood was full of adventure around the racetrack.

Linda earned her bachelor’s degree in teaching from Duchesne College in Omaha and enjoyed teaching for many years. She met the love of her life, her husband, Larry Dekat. They married on December 28, 1971, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Tekamah, NE. They had five incredible children. Linda was very proud of being a college-educated woman and took great pride her children and six grandchildren. She showed her love through prayer. She was a devoted Catholic and loved to say the rosary daily. Linda was known to have a sarcastic sense of humor and stubborn personality which made her an incredibly strong woman.

Survivors include children, Ann (Jeff) Badger of Clear Lake, IA, Carrie Dekat of Bellevue, Jill Johnson of Bellevue, Matt (Sarah) of New Strawn, KS, and Mara (Brett) Hall of Sioux City, IA, grandchildren, Sam Badger, Matthew, Ian and Charlotte Dekat, and Elliot and Emma Hall, sister, Connie Herman and brother, David Nelson. She is preceded in death by her parents and husband Larry Dekat.