Helen C. Nickel

Helen C. Nickel, 95, Kearney, passed away peacefully in her Northridge apartment March 11, 2018. Memorial services will be 11:00 a.m., March 14, 2018 at First United Methodist Church in Kearney with Pastor Melody Adams officiating. Private family burial will be at Kearney Cemetery. Visitation is from 5:00 to 7:00 pm, March 13, 2018 at Horner Lieske McBride & Kuhl Funeral and Cremation Services. Memorials are suggested to the First United Methodist Church or Kearney Area Community Foundation. Helen Claire (Wickard) Nickel, the eldest of five children of J.C. and Lucille (Thorton) Wickard, was born on February 23, 1923 on a farm near Sumner, Nebraska. She graduated from Lexington High School in 1940. Helen attended Kearney State College for one year where she completed a business course. On December 1, 1945, Helen was united in marriage to Duane Nickel. The couple lived in Lexington, NE, before moving to the Nickel family farm south of Kearney, NE. They lived on the farm until 1990 when they moved to Kearney. They were blessed with four children, Nancy, Douglas, Dirk and David. Personal relationship, especially with family and friends, served as cornerstones for Helen’s life. She took great delight in traveling with Duane and rooting for the Huskers every fall. She and Duane also enjoyed attending their children’s and grandchildren’s many and varied activities. Helen made and maintained longtime friendships in various groups. She was an active member of the Kearney First United Methodist Church, the Newark Extension Club, and a neighborhood birthday club. When she moved to Northridge, she enjoyed making new friends with residents and staff of the facility. Helen served as Duane’s care giver during his 15-year struggle with Parkinson Disease. He passed away in 2002. She is survived by her daughter, Nancy and husband Bert Fuller of Auburn, NE; Doug and wife Sharon Nickel of Meadow Lakes, TX, Dirk and wife Angela Nickel of Kearney, and David and wife Wendy Nickel of Kearney; four grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews and many, many friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Duane Nickel, brothers, Morris and Dean Wickard, sisters Fanny Joann Wickard and Donna Marshall.

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Helen C. Nickel

February 23, 1923 - March 11, 2018