Linda Nilius

Interment will be at the Graceland Cemetery.

Linda Darlene Nilius Klootwyk, was born July 29, 1955, in Omaha, Nebraska, to Donald Dean and Shirley Mae (Bourg) Nilius.

She spent her early childhood playing with the neighborhood children that gravitated to the Nilius house on Pinkney Street (the only flat yard on the block). Linda attended grade school at St. Bernard Catholic School just a few blocks away.

Linda’s youth was filled with fond memories of fishing with Grandpa Bourg, gardening with Grandpa Nilius, and spending nights and weekends with cousins and extended family.

Don moved his young family to Knoxville, Iowa in 1966 to work construction on the Red Rock Dam. The family first lived on E. Robinson Street before moving to the country to live in a house that had been relocated from the river bottom town of Coalport.

The country home was a treasure for the young family and Linda enjoyed everything from riding horses and dirt bikes to ice skating on the pond. Here too, the Nilius house was often the “place to be”, with Don and Shirley playing host for most friend and family events.

Linda attended Catholic school in Knoxville through 8th grade before attending Knoxville High School where she graduated in 1973.

Linda married Joel Ralph Klootwyk in 1975. From that union three sons were born; Jason Dean, Jamie Eric, and Joel Michael.

Linda was a loving, supportive, and encouraging mother, a craft she perfected as a grandmother. Raising three feral boys on a small farm outside of Knoxville was a full-time job.

Washing, feeding, and nurturing her three sons to become strong young men left a void in her life for mentoring girls that she filled as a Den Leader for Brownie troop 945.

After her youngest son was born Linda re-entered the workforce, housekeeping and waitressing to make a little extra money while raising her young boys.

Eventually Linda began her career working for the Veterans Administration in Des Moines, before transferring to the Knoxville VA where she worked until moving to Pittsburgh, PA in 2003.

Linda continued to advance her career and ultimately retired as Chief of Health Administrative Services in Tomah, WI after 30 dedicated years. Linda was passionate about serving our veterans. She had many immediate and extended family members who served in the United States Armed Forces.

Linda returned to Knoxville in 2015 and voluntarily continued to support veterans and their families throughout her retirement.

Linda was fond of making memories and capturing them in scrapbooks. Linda worked with her father Don to trace their family lineage. An adventure that took them all over the country, with Linda capturing the family history in her infamous “books”. Linda most loved to bring friends and family together for birthdays, holidays, and reunions, a passion inherited from her mom Shirley at a young age.

Linda’s life impacted many people, but none as much as her sixteen treasured grandchildren. Linda was always present for birthdays, recitals, school activities, and sporting events for her grandkids.

She knew every detail of her grandchildren’s’ academics, athletics, hobbies, interests, and career accomplishments. Most of all her home was their favorite place to spend the night.

She was the ear that would listen, the voice that would mentor, the hugs that would heal, and the person that always understood their unique personalities. She had a way of making everyone feel important and empowered by believing deeply in their abilities.

Linda is welcomed home by her parents, Don and Shirley (Bourg) Nilius, and her brother-in-law Bobby Bates.

She will be deeply missed by her children: Jason (Jennifer) Klootwyk, Jamie (Trina) Klootwyk, Joe (Rochelle) Klootwyk; and her grandchildren: Erica, Jacob (Madeline), Lukas, Jared, Justin, Kaden, Cash, Emma, Liv, Landon, Jaden, Bella, Nieco, Josh, Cam, and Natalie.

She is also remembered by her siblings, Dan (Raye) Nilius, Don Jr (Ali) Nilius, Toni (Jerry) Pitt, Sherry Bates, and Shawn (Michele) Nilius, and many treasured nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends.