Peggy Nilson

Peggy Ilene Nilson, 76, passed from this life to be with her Lord and Savior on Wednesday, March 29 at her home, surrounded by family.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, April 3 at 10:30 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Hawarden, IA. Graveside service and burial will follow at Grace Hill Cemetery in Hawarden. Visitation will be held on Sunday, April 2 with the family present from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Akron, IA. The Porter Funeral Home in Hawarden is assisting the family. Condolences may be sent to www.porterfuneralhomes.com.

Peggy Nilson was born on February 12, 1941 to Emil and Johanna (Jensen) Lindgren. She was raised on the family farm west of Hawarden, and attended Edwards Country School until the eighth grade. She moved on to Hawarden High School and graduated in 1959. Shortly after graduation, she married the love of her life, Larry Lee Nilson on June 6, 1959.

The couple settled on a Union County South Dakota farm west of Hawarden where they would raise a family and operate a family farm. For nearly 60 years, they worked together to build a farming enterprise that included grain, livestock and organic farming practices. Peggy played an active role on the farm, performing a multitude of office duties, management and assisting with fieldwork and in livestock operations.

To this union four daughters were born: Robin (Mark) Gambaiana of Des Moines, IA; Lynn (Greg) Van Ballegooyen of rural Hawarden; Wendy (Mark) Stevenson of Huxley, IA; and Connie (Loren) Mulder of Sioux Falls, SD.

Peggy was a woman of great faith, grace and inner and outer beauty. Her love and devotion to family and servanthood were hallmarks. For more than 40 years, she was a member of First Baptist Church in Hawarden and served the ministry in many capacities, including Deaconess, Sunday School teacher, youth leader and camp coordinator. Together with her husband Larry, they chaperoned young people to summer camps at Dayton Oaks in Dayton, IA for many years, where youngsters received the Gospel; on trips to Lake Okoboji and outings at the farm. Later, when Larry answered a call to serve churches in Cherokee and Akron, IA, she again played a pivotal role in those ministries.

Her fruits of the spirit will live on in the hearts and minds of her family, through her discipleship and in the many individuals she touched.

Left to cherish her memory and example are her husband Larry; her four daughters, a twin sister, Pauline Popken of Elma, IA; and a sister Pat (Jim) Dunnam of Hawarden. Peggy was preceded in death by her parents; a sister Beverly and a brother Paul. She is also survived by nine grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

Memorials can be made to the Camp Fund at First Baptist Church of Akron or to the IFOPA in honor of Peggy’s great-grandson, Lincoln, who has FOP.

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