Funeral Services For Nanette Halvorson

Nanette (Neitzke) Halvorson, age 55 of Yankton, SD, passed away Friday, August 16, 2019 at her residence under hospice care after a lengthy battle with cancer.  Funeral services will be 10:30 AM, Friday, August 23, 2019 at Christ the King Lutheran Church, Yankton, SD with Rev. Dani Jo Bierwagen officiating.  Burial will be in the Yankton Cemetery, Yankton, SD.  Visitations will be 5 to 7 PM, Thursday, August 22, 2019 at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home & Crematory, Yankton, SD and then one hour prior to the service at the church.  Online condolences may be sent at: www.opsahl-kostelfuneralhome.com.

Nanette was born December 4, 1963 to Leon Arthur and Irene Joyce (Koehler) Neitzke in Norfolk, NE and grew up there.  She was baptized on December 22, 1963 and confirmed on May 7, 1978 at Christ Lutheran Church.  Nanette graduated from Norfolk Senior High School in 1982. She lived in Clearwater and Plainview, NE and worked as a Med Aide. In 2003, Nanette graduated with a LPN Degree from Northeast Community College. Nanette then moved to Yankton SD where she worked at Ability Building Services for 11 years as one of the facility nurses. She then began working at Prairie Home Assisted Living as a charge nurse for 5 years until she was diagnosed with ovarian Cancer and decided she would focus on her cancer journey.

Nanette married Randy Allen in 1989 in Clearwater, NE and to this union, two wonderful children were born:  Christopher Leon Allen and Roseanna Jean (Allen) Sawtell.  ln 2006, Nanette married Terry Lee Halvorson in Yankton, SD, to which she gained another daughter, Lexi Rae (Halvorson) Bamberg.  Nanette was a member of Christ The King Lutheran Church in Yankton, SD.  Unable to have children, they adopted their most spoiled baby, Sam.  Sam has been Nanette's therapy dog through her cancer journey. There were days Sam never left Nanette’s side, always laying on her lap or beside Nanette very close.  Sam always knew when Nanette was having a bad day and not feeling well.  Nanette’s hobbies included:  Collecting snowmen, Peanut Characters, light houses and wind chimes, and she loved Christmas.  As a family, they enjoyed camping, gardening, flowers, traveling, spoiling their children, grandchildren and enjoying their German short haired pointer, Sam.  Nanette got to enjoy her dream vacation to Europe, Amsterdam and Switzerland in 2018.  She has dreamed of this vacation since 7th grade and seeing the windmills and huge tulip fields.

Nanette is survived by her husband, Terry Halvorson of 13 Years of Yankton, SD; son, Christopher (Bre) Allen and granddaughter Tyna (Allen) Schmidt; daughters, Roseanna (Allen) Sawtell and grandson, Gavin Sawtell, all of Yankton South Dakota, Lexi (Luke) Bamberg of Corsica, SD.  Also survived by Nanette are her 2 nieces and 2 nephews; sisters: Debora (Jim) Robertson of York, NE, Linda (Marvin) Anderson of Harlan, IA; sister-in-law, Teresa Halvorson of Sioux Falls, SD; mother and father in law, Patty (Sazma) Halvorson and Helge Jr of Yankton, SD and mothers, Irene Neitzke of Norfolk, NE and Charlotte (Crawford) Neitzke; brother, Charles Crawford of Norfolk, NE;  as well as many great nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Nanette also loved her fur grandbabies.

Nanette was preceded in death by her father, Leon Neitzke; maternal grandparents, Alfred and Emma (Reed) Koehler; paternal grandparents, Arthur and Clara (Weidamen) Neitzke, Lawrence Sazama, Helde Florence (Hall) Halvorson and Helge Sr. and several aunts and uncles.