Nellene Decker

Nellene Sue (Patton) Decker passed away December 12, 2023 at her home, peacefully in her sleep at the age of 72. She had a short battle with cancer. She died in her bed with dignity, being cared for only by her husband and granddaughter, Karissa.

She was cremated and burial will be at a later date. Arrangements were made by Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home in Winterset.

This was a very sad day for her family. It was so unexpected and so devastating for her and her family. We are so sorry, Grandma. Her little great-grandkids want to know where she is. They don’t understand about Heaven. One little great-granddaughter said this to her grandmother, “I love you so much, I am so sorry you had to leave me. I am so SAD, someday, I will be in heaven and we will be together again. I am now 6 years old.” Your granddaughter, Ella.

Nellene babysat most of her grandkids until they became teenagers. They wanted her one on one, no tapes in the TV. Nellene had a very large heart, overflowing with love. She put everyone first before herself. It is such a shock that she was gone. She will be greatly missed.

Nellene was born in Charles City, Iowa, to Avery and Lucille Patton, the seventh of nine children. She attended schools in Bondurant-Farrar and Maxwell. When Nellene was twelve, her parents died. She and her siblings moved to Murray, Iowa, to be raised by Edith Patton. They then attended Murray schools, where she graduated. She played sports for the Murray Mustangs, and excelled in basketball. She held a school record for free throws. This girl was under five feet tall, and 115 pounds, and she was a go-getter. Her coach gave her a sweater that said “Hustle”, and she was the only player to get one. She would get the opposing coaches so upset, because this little girl was stealing their players’ ball. She was like a little chipmunk stealing nuts.

Nellene was a very pretty girl in high school. She was always a queen candidate for homecoming. She broke a lot of hearts, but she didn’t mean to. She never had a bad word to say about anyone.

Nellene worked at a few jobs until she met and married Ronnie Decker in 1974. She decided to be a stay-at-home mom. Nellene and Ronnie were married for 50 years.

They lived on the Terry Lint farm north of Murray most of their married life, and that is where Nellene passed away. Their home was located on a dead end road surrounded by hundreds of acres of timber with wildlife galore. Nellene would look out her kitchen window and see baby deer, raccoons, possums, squirrels, turkeys, with baby skunks being her favorite. She would say, “They are so beautiful.” She enjoyed gardening and taking care of her flowers, feeding the hummingbirds, and watching the reaction from the grandkids.

She was an amazing cook, her food was so delicious. People would ask her, “What is your secret?” She would say, “I cook with love.”

When we were driving through the countryside, it would make her day to see the Amish kids walking home from school barefoot. It reminded her of her and her siblings because they would go barefoot in the summer.

Nellene loved to play Scrabble. She was unbeatable. She enjoyed life, no matter how hard it was. She was an amazing and kind woman. She knew what it meant to be a woman, wife, mother and grandmother. She fulfilled her responsibility with admiration. She will be greatly missed. A woman like Nellene doesn’t come along every day.

Left to cherish her are her children: her sons, Shawn (Jackie) Patton of rural Grand River, Chad (Stefanie) Decker of rural Osceola; her daughter, Danielle (Roger) Ohnemus of Indianola; her husband, Ronnie Decker; and many grandkids and great-grandkids.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents; parents, Avery and Lucille Patton; her brothers, Francis, Jim, Avery, Jr., and Russ; and her sister, Jean.

She is also survived by her sisters, Shari (Jim) Skinner of Cambridge, Judy Sherman of Indianola, and Peggy (Ron) Moffitt of Thayer; and brother, Jack (Judy) Patton of Bondurant.