Amanda Nickel

Amanda Naomi Ewert Nickel was born November 2, 1914, to Peter S. and Susanna (Berg) Ewert at the Ewert farm near Dolton, South Dakota. She attended Grant Township School No. 3 (also called Riverside School) in McCook County, South Dakota, graduating from eighth grade on June 1, 1929. On August 10, 1930, Amanda was baptized upon confession of her faith and received as a member of the Bethel Mennonite Church in rural Marion, South Dakota. Amanda attended Northwestern Bible School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for one year (1936-1937) and then returned to South Dakota to complete her high school education at Freeman Academy in Freeman South Dakota from 1937 to 1941. In 1942, Amanda began training to become a registered nurse at Bethel Deaconess Hospital in North Newton, Kansas. She graduated from Bethel with her R.N. degree in 1945. Amanda worked in the nursing profession for almost thirty years. Her first job was at Sioux Valley Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Before her marriage, she also worked as a registered nurse at the Mt. Lake Hospital in Mountain Lake, Minnesota; as a private duty nurse in Minneapolis, Minnesota; and as the company nurse for John Morrell and Company in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. On June 22, 1951, Amanda married David W. Nickel at the Bethel Mennonite Church in Marion. From 1951 until 1984, David and Amanda resided in Storden, Minnesota, where David owned and operated the Storden Feed Mill. By letter of transfer, Amanda joined the Gospel Mennonite Church in Mt. Lake (now the Lakeview Gospel Church) on May 9, 1953. While they lived in Storden, the Nickels regularly attended the Storden Baptist Church where Amanda taught Bible School and released-time classes, and participated in many of the church women's ministries. Amanda was a member of the American Cancer Society, the Clara Barton Club, and a neighborhood Birthday Club. She was also involved as a volunteer with Cub Scouts and Child Evangelism Fellowship. Amanda enjoyed sewing, flower and vegetable gardening, baking, music, embroidery, and crochet. David and Amanda enjoyed traveling. They embarked on annual car trips to northern Minnesota and throughout the United States and Canada when their children were home. Later, they traveled to Alaska, Europe, and the Dominican Republic. After her retirement from nursing, Amanda learned to quilt; she made quilts for each of her grandchildren. During the early years of their marriage, Amanda stayed home to raise the couple's three children. After Donna, Kenneth, and Susan had all started school, Amanda returned to work at the Westbrook Hospital and the Westbrook Medical Clinic. In 1976, Amanda retired from nursing. In 1984, David and Amanda moved to Mt. Lake, Minnesota. They lived in their home there until November 2002 when they became residents of Mikkelsen Manor in Windom, MN. In February of 2003 Amanda moved to the Sogge Memorial Good Samaritan Center in Windom where she lived until the time of her death. Amanda Nickel, 92 ,of Windom, MN, formerly of Storden and Mountain Lake, MN died on Monday, January 8, 2007 at Sogge Memorial Good Samaritan Center in Windom, MN. Amanda was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Elmer, and her sister Adolphine. Survivors include her husband: David W. Nickel of Windom, Minnesota; children; Donna M. (Chris K.) Johnson of Windom, Minnesota; Kenneth W. (Kathy) Nickel of Luck, Wisconsin, Susan E. (Loren) Faul of Santiago, Dominican Republic; nine grandchildren; one sister-in-law, Marie Ewert of Bellevue, Washington, and one brother, Roland Ewert of Freeman, South Dakota.