Nickel, Lillian B. Janke (1907-1987)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 12 Mar 1987 p. 8

Birth date: 1907

text of obituary:

NEWTON & VICINITY

. . .

● Funeral services for Lillian (Janke) Nickel, 80, of rural Peabody, will be held on March 13 at Hesston Inter-Mennonite Church, with Herbert Minnich officiating. Burial will be in Haven of Rest Cemetery near Hillsboro. She died on March 9 at her home. Survivors include her husband, Rudolph H.; one son, Henry J. of Newton; four daughters, Mary Goossen of Dinuba, Calif., Betty Andres of Overland Park, Elsie Mackland of Hutchinson and Sharon Franzen of Houston; two sisters, Frieda Sweitzer of Vale, Ore., and Irene Davis of Ottawa; 16 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 30 Apr p. 11

text of obituary:

LILLIAN B. JANKE NICKEL

Lillian B. Janke Nickel was born to Ephraim and Eva Unruh Janke on March 6, 1907, at Lehigh, Kan. She was the third of eight children. She graduated from the Lehigh Public Schools in 1927.

On July 31, 1927, she was baptized upon her confession of faith by John Plenart and became a member of the Lehigh Mennonite Church. After her marriage she transferred her membership to the Brudertal Mennonite Church.

She was united in marriage to Rudolf H. Nickel on Nov. 10, 1929, by Gustav Frey. They lived in the Brudertal community, where she was active in church and mission society activities. For a short time, the family lived near Sterling. When the Marion Reservoir was built in the 1960s, the farm buildings were sold, but the house was moved to its present location southwest of Peabody as she went about her household tasks.

She enjoyed the outdoors. She was also an avid reader and liked to share what she read. Reading God's Word always renewed her strength. Her children and grandchildren remember her for the many things she made for them with her hands.

On Nov. 10, 1985, her family gathered at the home of Elizabeth and Ida Mae Nickel for a surprise 56th wedding anniversary celebration. On Mother's Day, 1986, she became seriously ill, was hospitalized and released to Friendly Acres, Newton, Kan. She was able to go home on Dec. 23, 1986. Several months later her health began to fail again, and on March 9, 1987, at the age of 80, she went to be with the Lord.

Survivors include her husband, Rudolf; four daughters and their spouses, Mary June and Raymond Goossen of Dinuba, Calif., Betty Jane and Edward Andreas of Overland Park; Elsie Beth Macklin of Hutchinson; and Sharon and Kenneth Franzen of Bellaire, Texas; one son and his wife, Henry Jay and Marilyn Nickel of Newton; 16 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; two sisters, Irene Davis of Ottawa and Elfrieda Switzer, Vale, Ore.; and five sisters-in-law, Clara Janke of Salina, Bena M. Janke of Ontario, Ore., and Elizabeth Nickel, Wilma Nickel and Ida Mae Nickel, all of Hillsboro.

Funeral services were held March 13, 1987, at Hesston Inter-Mennonite Church, with R. Herbert Minnich and Waldo Miller officiating. Interment was at Haven of Rest Cemetery, Hillsboro, with Heinz Janzen officiating.

Transcribed by Ralph Shetler, Oregon