Karen Van De Steeg Executive Director

On behalf of the Board of Directors, the doctors and the staff, I would like to welcome you to the June E. Nylen Cancer Center’s website. I am proud of the caring, compassionate people who work at the Center in an effort to relieve cancer patients and their families of the pain and trauma caused by cancer. Our staff is dedicated to creating a comfortable place to receive treatment.

Whether you are a patient, a patient’s loved one, a supporter, or if you are just curious about what we do, I welcome you and encourage your feedback. Thank you for visiting.

June Eileen (Wiese) Nylen

June Eileen (Wiese) Nylen was born June 8, 1925 in rural Sibley, Iowa. She graduated in 1942 from Sutherland, Iowa High School at the age of sixteen. June went on to the University of Iowa and then attended Lutheran School of Nursing in Sioux City, Iowa. On June 8, 1947 June married John R. Nylen and her marriage produced four children - Nancy, Jon, Scott, and Mark.

June was a Registered Nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Sioux City, Iowa from 1965 until 1973. In 1975 she was diagnosed with lung cancer and was treated for many years until she succumbed to the disease on August 7, 1980. June is described by many as a very loving and caring mother who chose to help people in need. June taught her children to always do what’s right and to help others where and whenever possible. June’s battle with lung cancer and her loss changed the face of the Nylen family and permanently changed the future for each one of her children.

In an effort to put his mother’s philosophy of helping others into action, her son, Mark, made a contribution of a $1,000,000 gift in June’s memory to help purchase a new Linear Accelerator. Her battle with cancer served as the catalyst to inspire Mark & Mary Ellen Nylen to make this substantial gift to the Cancer Center, and it continues to inspire others with the gift of caring and hope.