Deanna Faye Nissen

Deanna Faye Nissen, the daughter of Martin and Elsie (Petersen) Christensen, was born September 18, 1949, at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Carroll, Iowa. She passed on to eternal life with her Savior Jesus Christ on December 23, 2015, at the Taylor Hospice House in Des Moines, Iowa at the age of 66 years.
Deanna was baptized and confirmed at the Exira Lutheran Church in Exira, Iowa. She attended the Exira Community Schools graduating in 1967. Deanna was employed at the Uptown Café in Exira as a waitress. This is where she met her future husband who had come into the restaurant for a meal. As was Deanna’s usual manner, she was reserved with him at first, but as time passed, she warmed up to the Nissen charm.
On November 1, 1969, she was united in marriage to Gary Nissen at the Exira Lutheran Church in Exira, Iowa. They began their life together on a fifth-generation family farm, northwest of Audubon. They managed and operated the farm together by growing row crops and raising livestock. They farmed for many years and recently semi-retired.
Deanna was a member of the Exira Lutheran Church and taught Sunday school for several years. She enjoyed the fellowship of many in the church’s sewing and quilting circles. In her younger years, Deanna baby-sat for a few families in the area; some of those families grew to become life-long family friends. Deanna enjoyed the gardening vegetables and beautiful flowers, sewing, and crafting. She loved to bake and cook for others as a way to show her love for them. She had a great sense of humor, could make anyone laugh, and made everyone feel special. She never forgot a birthday, and in a world full of technology, would make the effort to send a hand-written letter and birthday card, making sure it would reach the person on time. Deanna’s love for Christ guided her generosity, love, and compassion toward others.
Deanna was preceded in death by her parents Martin and Elsie Christensen, her father-in-law and mother-in-law Milo and Ethel Nissen, and her brother-in-law Larry Nissen.
Survivors include her husband Gary Nissen of Audubon, her sister-inlaw Jane (Donald) Leib of Des Moines, her nieces and nephews Julie (David) Bowman of Ballwin, Missouri, Tammy (Ryan) Bickel of Urbandale, Tracy (Matthew) McVey of West Des Moines, and Steven (Kristel) Leib of West Des Moines. Also surviving are her grandnieces and grandnephews: Joshua, Jared, and Elijah Bowman all of Ballwin, Missouri, Lucas, Ethan and Jonathan Bickel all of Urbandale, Isabella and Sophia McVey and Hayden and Bennett Leib all of West Des Moines. Deanna will be missed by many other relatives, valued friends and neighbors.
Funeral service will be conducted by Pastor Steven Frock on Wednesday, December 30, 2015, at 2:00 P.M. at the Exira Lutheran Church in Exira, Iowa. Interment will be in the Exira Cemetery in Exira, Iowa. The casket bearers will be Brian Bruch, Mike Bruch, Dustin Bruch, Michael Brown, Ryan Bickel, Steven Leib, and David Bowman. The family will meet with friends Wednesday afternoon from 12:30 P.M. until the time of the service at the Exira Lutheran Church in Exira, Iowa.