Pauline M Neilson

Pauline Marie Neilson, was born on January 1, 1932, to Conrad and Hazel (Tow) Fogde. She was raised on the family farm outside of Graettinger and attended country school and Emmetsburg High School. Later in life, she pursued her GED through Iowa Lakes Community College.
Pauline was a homemaker and mother, taking pride in raising her family and supporting her loved ones. Following her father's death; Paulines's mother, Hazel, moved in to live with Pauline and her children, the two of them shared many years together, running the family farms until Hazel's passing in 2002.
Pauline had a deep love for nature with a special fondness for birds and butterflies. She found joy in the outdoors, particularly in caring for her garden, pulling every weed-except for the milkweed, which she carefully left for the Monarch butterflies. A passionate advocate for nature and the environment, Pauline understood how important bees and water play in preserving the health of our planet. She found beauty in the simple wonders of nature, like seeing the first robin of spring and the Iris, which she considered the perfect flower.
In her later years, Pauline lived at Windsor Manor Assisted Living in Estherville and, most recently, at Lakeside Lutheran Home in Emmetsburg, where she was lovingly cared for by the staff.
Pauline Marie Neilson passed away peacefully on April 10, 2025, at Lakeside Lutheran Home in Emmetsburg, Iowa, at the age of 93.
Pauline is survived by her children: DonNita Deberg of Sibley, Kenneth Neilson Jr. of Graettinger, Michelle Neilson Rehm, Brian Neilson of Sioux Falls, SD, and David (Lynn) Neilson of Graettinger; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her sister Mavis, and a son, Curt Neilson, who passed in infancy.
In lieu of flowers, Pauline's family requests memorials to Bethel Lutheran Church, Graettinger.