Lillian Norma Nielsen, 102

Lillian Norma Nielsen, 102, Gladbrook, formerly of Garwin, died Saturday, December 13, 2014, at Grundy Memorial Hospital, Grundy Center. Visitation was Tuesday, December 16, 2014 at Overton Funeral Home in Garwin. Funeral services were held Wednesday, December 17, 10:30 a.m. at Garwin United Methodist Church. Burial was at Crystal Township Cemetery, rural Garwin. Memorials may be directed to the family. Overton Funeral Home, Garwin, cared for Lillian and her family. Condolences may be left at www.overtonservice.com. Lillian Norma Nielsen was born on July 14, 1912, in Crystal Township, Iowa, on the same farm where her father was born. She was the daughter of Charles and Bertha (Hagedorn) Schield. Lillian died at the age of 102 on Saturday, December 13, 2014, at the Grundy County Memorial Hospital in Grundy Center. Lillian attended Garwin School through 8th grade. On January 21, 1933, she was united in marriage to Harold Henry Nielsen at the United Brethren parsonage in Garwin. The couple lived on a farm 1.5 miles east of Garwin all of their married lives until Harold’s passing. Lillian loved to sew and was an excellent seamstress. She made a variety of items including wedding dresses, suits, jackets, dresses and many aprons which were sold at the church bazaar. Lillian was also an excellent cook and would make bread every week. There was always a cup of coffee and a cookie or piece of pie for anyone who might stop by. Even though Lillian never finished high school, she was an avid reader. She loved her Skipper Key dogs and had several different ones throughout life on the farm. Lillian was a member of the United Methodist Church in Garwin, the United Methodist Women’s group, Life Builder Class, Neighborhood Homemaker’s Club and the local Pinochle club. In death, Lillian rejoins her husband; her parents; a daughter, Nancy; brothers in law, Leonard and Earl; and sisters in law, Helen and Lola. Those left to cherish her memory are her son, Barry Nielsen; a daughter, Ellen (Jim) Wilkening; grandchildren, Todd Nielsen, Tricia (Mark) Littlejohn, Bret (Kamera) Wilkening, Brad (Jayme) Wilkening, David (Cynthia) Scheid, Julie (Larry-deceased) Meyers, Diane McKinney and Kay (Mike) Shaver; great grandchildren, Kyla Wilkening, Meghan (Jake) Langle, Keegan (Haylee) Wilkening, Emily Shaver, Matthew Shaver, Lillie Nielsen, Rachel Scheid and William Scheid; a step granddaughter, Kajun Hansen; and step great grandchildren, Kayven and Kayler Hansen.