Kathleen Nielsen

Kathy was born and grew up in Barnton, England, the daughter of Frederick and Ivy Royle. She met Lester (Ed) Nielsen while he was stationed in England as part of the US Air Force. They were married in England on July 6, 1957. She emigrated to the United States in 1958. Kathy and Ed settled in Parsons, Kansas where she gave birth to two children, Debbie and David. The family moved to El Dorado, Kansas where she lived for 34 years. Kathy worked as a Nurses Aide and in the kitchen at Susan B Allen Hospital. She also worked as an instructor at Terramara, a sheltered workshop for mentally handicapped adults. She was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church in El Dorado.

After they retired, Kathy and Ed moved to Cedar Park, Texas to be closer to their children and grandchildren. They lived there for 14 years. Kathy was a member of Leander United Methodist Church and volunteered with Hill Country Community Ministries, Meals on Wheels, and Far NW Caregivers. Kathy and Ed returned to England in 1997 to celebrate their 40th Anniversary and renew their wedding vows. Kathy enjoyed traveling and camping, knitting, crocheting, decorating her home and her dogs Snoopy, Justin and Chloe.

As Kathy and Ed’s dementia worsened, they moved to Round Rock to live with their son David and son-in-law Scott Poppaw. They lived there for 3 years before moving to Poet’s Walk Memory Care.

Kathy was preceded in death by brothers Alan Royle and David Royle and brother-in-law Roy Birtles all of England.

She is survived by her husband, Lester Edward Nielsen; daughter, Debbie Davis (Ken Davis) of Baytown, Texas; son, David Nielsen (Scott Poppaw) of Round Rock, Texas; granddaughters, Sandi Calhoun of San Diego, California, and Amy Oliver (David Oliver) of Thornton, Colorado; grandson, Christopher Calhoun of Pflugerville, Texas; great granddaughter, Evelyn Oliver of Thornton, Colorado; sister, Iris Birtles of Barnton, England; and one niece and five nephews all of England.

A memorial service is scheduled for 2:00 P.M. August 17, 2019 at Leander United Methodist Church in Leander, Texas. Burial will be in Parsons, Kansas and Barnton, England at a later date.

In lieu of flowers the family suggest gifts to: Alzheimer’s Texas www.txalz.org or AGE of Central Texas www.ageofcentraltx.org