Linda Kay Stewart

Kay Stewart, 75, passed away on Sunday, March 1, 2026.

Per Kay and her family’s wishes, cremation rites will be accorded. Kay's Celebration of Life has been scheduled for Monday, March 16, 2026, from 4:00-7:00 P.M. at Mitchell Family Funeral Home in Marshalltown. Memorial contributions in Kay’s name may be directed to the Animal Rescue League or Iowa River Hospice. For questions or condolences, please visit www.mitchellfh.com or call 641-844-1234.

Linda Kay Nelson was born on August 14, 1950, in Grinnell, Iowa to parents John Herbert Nelson and Alice Marie (Mattingly) Van Note. She grew up in Marshalltown, graduating from Marshalltown High School in 1969. One day, a young man she met through mutual friends at the Clark gas station, Kenneth “Ken” Stewart, caught her eye and later they were married on January 8, 1972, at the Marshalltown United Methodist Church. Kay and Ken enjoyed being “weekend and holiday parents” for their friends’ children before the birth of their son. Kay was a dedicated mother and wife and enjoyed spending much of her time supporting her family and close friends. That same care and compassion led her to a lifelong career as a Nursing Unit Coordinator at the Iowa Veterans Home, where she retired after working 40 years, six months and 21 days. In her free time, she enjoyed crafts like macramé and leather and gardening and canning with her husband.

Those left to cherish her memory include her beloved son, Travis Stewart; three brothers: Ray (Lyn) Nelson, John (Marie) Nelson and Ron Nelson; several nieces, nephews and cousins and her cat, QP.

Kay is preceded in death by her parents: Alice and George Van Note and Herb and Maggie Nelson; and her beloved husband of 50 years, Ken.

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