Linda Jeanne Naleway

Linda Jeanne Naleway, 75, of West Branch, Iowa, passed away July 12, 2024, at her home.

She was born April 3, 1949, in Woodstock, Ill., a daughter of the late Donald H. and Phyllis A. (nee Huffman) Holtz.

Visitation is set for 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 17, 2024, at Davenport Family Funeral Home and Crematory, 419 East Terra Cotta Ave. (Route 176), in Crystal Lake, Ill., 60014. Visitation will also take place an hour before the funeral. Funeral services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday, July 18, again at Davenport Family Funeral Home. Burial will follow at McHenry County Memorial Park, Woodstock.

Linda Holtz attended Crystal Lake Community High School, where she participated in the French Club, Girls’ Athletic Association, and Diversified Occupations before graduating in 1967. She also graduated from the Patricia Stevens Career College and Finishing School, learning to type 60 words per minute with 95-percent accuracy on manual typewriters.

In her youth, Linda liked attending concerts with “the girls” – cousins Julie and Nan – and saw many popular bands, including the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, The Association, Three Dog Night, and Herman’s Hermits. They adored the Beatles, and traveled as far as Minnesota and Milwaukee to see them. They also saw them perform at Chicago’s Comiskey Park; John Lennon was Linda’s favorite. Linda would sing Beatles songs whenever Nan or Julie needed cheering up.

The girls also took family vacations to the Black Hills, the Wisconsin Dells, and Kerwick Resort in Camdenton, Mo.

Linda learned to play and enjoy tennis from her older brother, Dave, and for years never missed watching the Wimbledon Championships. Her favorite player was Björn Borg.

On May 24, 1969, she married Edward M. Naleway and they would soon welcome a daughter and son, Robin and Craig. They later divorced. 

She held several jobs in the Crystal Lake area, spending the longest time working at Oak Industries (Oak Switch Systems), as well as Knaack, Echo Inc., and Catty Corp. 

Linda enjoyed doing puzzles, from crosswords to picture puzzles to sudoku, and collected miniatures, knick-knacks, and antiques.

During the holidays, Linda was known for hosting family get-togethers at her home on Brink Street in Crystal Lake, Ill. The Christmas feasts often featured her signature Cornish hens. While Crystal Lake grew and developed, many downtown homes were redeveloped into small businesses or were torn down; hers was one of the last to survive before it was remodeled into a restaurant.

She is survived by her children, Robin (Greg) Norfleet of West Branch, Iowa, and Craig Naleway of Windsor Heights, Iowa; grandchildren Logan, Connor, and Keaton Norfleet and Emma and Carter Naleway; several nieces, a nephew, and many extended family members. She was particularly close to cousins Julie Menke and Nancy “Nan” Haskins.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, David Holtz, who died in 2011.

The family would like to extend special thanks to Iowa City Hospice for their care in Linda’s last few weeks.