Nickel, John W. (1921-2008)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2008 Jun 9 p. 9

Birth date: 1921 Aug 10

text of obituary:

JOHN W. NICKEL

John W. Nickel, 86, of Mountain Lake, Minn., died May 29, 2008, at Good Samaritan Village. He was born Aug. 10, 1921, to William T. and Maria (Friesen) Nickel in Carson Township, Cottonwood County.

He received his education at a country school and at Mountain Lake High School. He was baptized at Bergfelder Mennonite Church on June 5, 1938, and on Jan. 13, 1946, he transferred his membership to Bethel Mennonite Church.

On Sept. 6, 1945, he married Edna Marie Schroeder at Bethel Mennonite Church.

They made their home and farmed on the Nickel family farm until moving into their new home in Mountain Lake in 1984. He continued to farm until his retirement in 1992, but he never gave up helping on the farm. He was a steward of all he had, sharing his talents with his neighbors by serving on the boards of the Federal Land Bank, the Delft Elevator and Mennonite Property Aid Association. He was active on several church boards and supported many projects in both his church and other ministries.

He began farming with horses, was one of the first in the neighborhood to own a self-propelled combine and corn dryer, built one of the first modern style confinement hog barns in the state and saw his family homestead become a Century Farm. He enjoyed fishing, sports of all kinds, bus tours, visiting family, helping his family in any way and participating in events with his children and grandchildren.

Survivors include his wife, Edna Nickel, of Mountain Lake; three children, Dorothy Nickel Friesen and her husband, Richard, of Newton, Kan., Daryl Nickel of Overbrook, Kan., and Audrey Bjerum and her husband, Michael, of Mountain Lake; a brother, David W. Nickel of Windom; a sister-in-law, Sara Nickel of Mountain Lake; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by six brothers, William, Peter, Theodore, Theodore, Jacob and Abram; and four sisters, Anna, Marie, Elizabeth and Katherine.

Services were held at Bethel Mennonite Church in Mountain Lake. Burial was in Mountain Lake Cemetery.