Linda M. Nelsen

Linda M. Nelsen, age 59 of St. Peter, passed away at home on Monday, October 24, 2016.

Memorial service will be 11:00 am on Saturday, October 29, 2016 at First Lutheran Church in St. Peter. Visitation will be 4:00 – 7:00 Friday as well as 10 am Saturday at the church. Memorials are preferred to the Benedictine Living community, Care Providers of MN or Mayo Hospice. St. Peter Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Linda was born March 20, 1957 in Albert Lea, MN the daughter of Kermit O. and Marie (Bowman) Gilbertson. She grew up in the Albert Lea area and was a 1975 graduate of Albert Lea High School and 1979 graduate of Mankato State University with a degree in Community Health. On June 30, 1979 she married her high school sweetheart, Thomas Nelsen.

They made their home in St. Peter and Linda received her Long Term Care Administration License from the University of Minnesota while working at Grandview. Her employment includes: 1982-1986 she was the administrator at Grandview, 1986-1993 District Manager for Good Neighbor, 1993-1997 Regional Director of Operation for Good Samaritan, 1997-1999 at home office in St. Peter for Alternative Living Service as Regional Director of Operations and oversaw the building of many Alternative Living Centers,1999-2008 Senior Vice President of Housing and Assisted Living for Pathway, and in 2008 joined the team at the Benedictine Living community in St. Peter and was instrumental in planning the attached senior living facility of Benedictine Court that opened in 2011. She continued to work until her passing. Throughout her career, her focus was for the care of the elderly.

In the St. Peter community, she has served on First Lutheran Church Council and received the Theodore Larson Award for distinguished service in Christian Education, acted as chair of the Friends of the Library for two terms, was chair of the public affairs committee for the St. Peter area Chamber of Commerce, active member of the Lions Club, and recently received an award from Women Celebrating Women. Outside of the community she worked as a member of the long term care organization, Care Providers, in the capacity of chair of the Scholarship Foundation and was a recipient of the 2016 Chairman’s Choice award. She enjoyed traveling, reading, going up north and most important was family. She was highly involved and supportive of her children’s activities.

Linda is survived her husband Tom of St. Peter; Children: Grant of St. Peter and Emily of St. Cloud; Siblings: Terry (Carolyn) Gilbertson of Waseca, Sue (Bill) Barber of Albert Lea, Steve (Nancy) Gilbertson of Alexandria, and twin sister Lanae (Larry) Thorstad of Albert Lea; many nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews; mother-in-law Fern Rockwell, and many Nelsen in-laws. She was preceded in death by her parents; sister Sandra; father-in-law Howard Nelsen and sisters-in-law Patty Nelsen and Carol Vick.