Nancy Carole Dean

On Friday, April 19, 2019, Nancy Carole Dean, loving mother and grandmother, passed away at the age of 81. Though if you asked Nancy her age, as her three grandchildren often did over the years, she would have told you she was still 39.  A funeral service will be held Wednesday, April 24, 2019 at 10:30 A.M. at Hope Lutheran Church in South Sioux City, NE.  Visitation will be Tuesday at Becker Hunt Funeral Home from 5-8:00 P.M. with the family present from 6-8:00 P.M. and a prayer service at 7:00 P.M.  Burial will be at Dakota City Cemetery.  Online condolences may be made to www.meyerbroschapels.com.

Nancy was born on January 12, 1938 in Martinsburg, NE at her Grandma Hulda's house to Verrine "Dolly" and Dewey Berger. She graduated from Dakota City High School in 1956 and married Klemett E. Dean shortly thereafter on May 20, 1956. Nancy and Klemett raised their two children, Kim Carole Dean and Craig Klemett Dean, in South Sioux City, NE.   Nancy worked at the South Sioux City Walmart from when it opened until her retirement in 2007. Although Nancy worked in various departments through the years, her favorites were working in the "electronics" and "kids clothes" sections because it provided her with more ideas for how to spoil her three grandchildren, something she loved to do.  Those closest to Nancy knew that she ran a store out of her house. It came to be affectionately known as "Grandma's General Store" or "Santa's Outpost," depending on the season. Ever the shopper and with a keen eye for a great bargain, especially at Younkers, Nancy had a room full of "goods" she had accumulated during her shopping trips when a deal was too good to pass up. More than once before going out for an "event," Nancy could be seen going in to her "store" and coming back with an outfit for Klemett to wear for the occasion. Which he did, because he had no choice.

Nancy passed on her shopping genes to her daughter and two granddaughters (early indications are she has passed it on to her great granddaughter as well). Some of her most cherished times were taking any one of them to the mall. But even if she made a solo Saturday mall trip, Nancy's family was still on her mind. Cinnabon in hand, Nancy made a point to text each of her grandchildren to catch up from the week that had passed and get their plans for the weekend. In the case of her grandson, she would inevitably ask "what is wrong with my Yankees/Huskers?"

Although Nancy would be the first to tell you she did not play sports, she loved to watch them, especially Nebraska football games with her son, either at her house or a watch party at her niece's. The line in the Nebraska fight song "we'll all stick together, in all kinds of weather," is a good analogy for Nancy's fandom for her favorite teams or players. It's fitting that her favorite golfer, Tiger Woods, won his first major since 2008, 5 days before she passed away. That will probably be the first piece of news she shares with Klemett when she gets through the pearly gates.  There were two things Nancy could never pass up: dessert or a trip to the casino. Although she did not discriminate when it came to dessert (unless you told her it included cream cheese), her favorite was the banana split at Wells Blue Bunny in Lemars, IA. Her favorite casinos were the ones that had slot machines.

Nancy was preceded in death by her husband, Klemett, on 12/26/2013. She was also preceded in death by her parents; a brother Thomas, a brother John and a sister Linda.

She is survived by daughter Kim Carole and her husband John Bateman of Plattsmouth, NE; a son Craig Klemett Dean of Sioux City, IA; a sister Connie and husband James Breaman and sister Patty Conlon, both of South Sioux City, NE; three grandchildren, Jonathan (Ashley) Bateman of Gretna, NE, Emily Bateman of Bellevue, NE; and Whitney Dean of Sioux City, IA; one great granddaughter Mara Bateman.