Nickel, Henry T. (1885-1965)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1965 Aug 5 p. 3

Birth date: 1885 Mar 12

text of obituary:

Retired Farmer Dies When Boat Overturns

Mt. Lake, Minn. — Funeral services for Henry T. Nickel, lifelong resident of this community who drowned in a boating accident at Bingham Lake, were held July 24, at the First Mennonite church here. He was 80 years of age.

Mr. Nickel and his brother, Abram T. Nickel, were fishing from a homemade pontoon boat when the craft suddenly flipped over. His brother went down also, but grabbed the boat when he came to the surface and was rescued. Mr. Nickel's body was recovered about 20 minutes later from five and a half feet of water.

Mr. Nickel and his wife, the former Justina Neufeld, farmed near here from 1919 to 1943, when they moved to Mt. Lake. Since then he had been employed at the A. A. Penner sheet mental shop and in several other kinds of work.

Survivors include his widow, their son and daughter, two grandsons, and two brothers.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1965 Sep 30 p. 8

text of obituary:

HENRY T. NICKEL

Henry T. Nickel, son of Rev. Theodore and Anna Ewert Nickel, was born in Odin Township, Watonwon County, Minn. on March 22, 1885. He received his elementary education in the rural schools of Watonwon County and attended the Mt. Lake Bible School.

In 1906 he was baptized into membership of the Gospel Mennonite Church by Elder Heinrich Quiring, transferring his membership to the First Mennonite Church in 1911.

On Nov. 9, 1911, he was united in marriage to Justina Neufeld. To this union one son and one daughter were born. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Nickel lived in Mt. Lake for eight years while Mr. Nickel was employed by the local telephone company as a lineman. In 1919 they moved to the Nickel farm southeast of Mt. Lake, and followed the vocation of farming until retirement in 1943. In the early 1930s he served on the board of directors of the local creamery.

They moved back to Mt. Lake in the fall of 1943 where they have since made their home. For a number of years he worked at the A. A. Penner sheet metal shop, and in later years operated a mower and tool sharpening service.

For many years he served on the church board as mission treasurer and deacon. He was church custodian for five years, 1949-1953.

On Wednesday afternoon, July 21, Mr. Nickel and his brother, Abram, went to Bingham Lake to fish. At about 4 p.m. the pontoon boat that they were using turned over and Mr. Nickel was drowned. He attained the age of 80 years, three months and 29 days.

Mr. Nickel is survived by his wife, Justina; one son, Leonard, and one daughter, Mrs. Loren (Esther) Fell, both of Mt. Lake; two grandsons; and two brothers, Abram T. and David T. Nickel, both of Mt. Lake.

He was preceded in death by his parents, four brothers, two sisters, one half-sister, and two half-brothers.

Funeral services were held July 24 from the First Mennonite Church. Rev. Alvin Kleinsasser and Rev. I. J. Dyck officiated. Burial was in the Mt. Lake cemetery.

The Mennonite obituary: 1965 Aug 31 p. 540