Linda Kaye Nelson

Linda Kaye Nelson was born on July 13, 1959 in Kansas City, Kansas to Robert Ray Nelson and Hattie Lee Nelson.  Linda was a funny baby that was full of love, laughter, and one of her favorite things to do was ride in the front seat of the car with her dad and wave at everyone as he would pass through the streets, with her infant backhand wave.  Linda grew up in Kansas City, Missouri and attended Paseo High School. 

Linda was a teenage mother at the age of 16, and she had a strong support system to help her raise and care for her daughter.  Linda loved and nurtured her daughter.  Linda recognized that her daughter gave her strength and courage to live her life to the fullest.  Their bond was an unbreakable one and they grew up together learning, experiencing, and challenging life.  Linda completely loved her daughter and although hearing impaired and later deaf, she heard her voice each time her daughter called. 

Linda was a free spirit that loved to have fun, enjoy life, and she carried her camera everywhere she went to capture all she explored.  She loved dressing up in stylish outfits and some of the elaborate costumes.  She loved food so much that as she ate a one meal she would be thinking about and preparing for the next.  Linda played a valuable role in teaching the family different modalities to life.  Linda taught most of her younger siblings, nieces, and nephews how to drive, how to stand up for themselves and how-to party and enjoy life.  Linda was misunderstood by some as being “mean” but as many later learned that her voice grew as she learned to master her own voice.  Linda gradually started losing her hearing during her elementary years but wasn’t diagnosed until her late teenage years.  Linda fought the stigma of “deaf and dumb” by returning to school and completing her Associates Degree in computer science, and she was just few hours from completing her bachelor’s degree.  Linda was proud of her accomplishments as she pushed forward and expressed to her family that she had a voice and a mind to persevere.  Linda worked at the Internal Revenue Service where she was a proud employee and although she kept to herself, she was able to build friendships and was determined to master her position at work.

Linda was preceded in death by her father Robert Ray Nelson, her sister Bernice Saunders, and her brother Johnny Ray Nelson.  Linda leaves to cherish her memory, mother, Hattie Lee Nelson; daughter, Liana K. Nelson-Peterson; granddaughters Zaid Steele-Peterson and Zanai Peterson; Siblings: Claudia Nelson-Perry, Gwendolyn Jones (Al), Valerie Nelson-Mills, Stephanie Nelson, Vickie Nelson, Karen Meade, Robert Ray Nelson Jr, Tina Nelson, Brandon Nelson.  Her nieces and nephews, Anthony Wells, Kenya Saunders, Ivan Jones, Toyann Nelson, Joshua Mills, Montrey Nelson, Tremayne Nelson, Olugbala Nelson, Kareem Nelson, Eric Nelson, Lemonte Meade, LaTisha Meade, Karen Seals, Tyon Nelson, Tinai Mitchell and a host of great nieces and nephews, cousins, family and friends. 

In lieu of flowers the family request memorial donations be made to Liana K. Nelson-Peterson @ $UniquelyULiana.

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