Paul D. Nickel

1927 - 2011

Paul D. Nickel, 84, entered his Heavenly home Thursday morning, Dec. 15, 2011, from his earthly home in Concord.

He was born June 7, 1927, in Jacksonville, the son of Roy E. and Sara Frances Deitrick Nickel. He married Myra J. Werries on Sept. 18, 1946, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in rural Chapin, and she survives.

He is also survived by four children, Elaine Stier (husband, Don) of Tavernier, Fla., Jone Schumacher (husband, Arthur) of Chapin, Bruce Nickel (wife, Judy) of Concord and RoseAnn Ruckman (husband, Gary) of Sturtevant, Wis.; 16 grandchildren, Scott Stier (wife, Dawn), Tara Muench (husband, Tom), Jennifer Cameron (husband, Mark), Amy Englin (husband, Phil), Melissa Mueed, Melanie Rahmel (husband, Scott), Ryan Schumacher (wife, Trisha), Kyle Schumacher (wife, Sara), Kendall Schumacher, Ben Nickel (wife, Katie), Dan Nickel (wife, Cassie), Jeremy Nickel, Kayla Nickel, Chad Ruckman (wife, Joy), Cara Borggren (husband, Josh) and Caitlyn Ruckman; 23 great-grandchildren; a brother, Robert Nickel (wife, Carol) of Concord; three sisters, Constance Lower (husband, Edgar) of Davenport, Iowa, Barbara Davis (husband, Burl) of Pittsburgh and Kay Watts (husband, Albert) of Valparaiso, Ind.; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; and a grandson, Marc Stier.

Mr. Nickel was a 1945 graduate of Chapin High School and farmed with his father for several years in the Morgan County area. He then served as a supervisor for buildings and grounds at Anderson-Clayton Foods for several years. Paul later formed a partnership with his brother, Bob, which they operated as Nickel Brothers Land Improvement Contractors until 1978. At that time, Paul established Paul D. Nickel Enterprises with his son, Bruce, which was engaged in farming and land improvement. He retired in 1986.

Paul was a member of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Jacksonville, a senior member of the Jacksonville Rotary Club, and was a former member of the Passavant Area Hospital Board of Trustees where he was instrumental in helping establish the paramedic program and emergency room physician staffing. During his retirement, Paul enjoyed travel, buying and selling toy tractors, trading antiques and attending flea markets.

Funeral services will be held 10 a.m. Monday at the Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Jacksonville, with burial at Concord Cemetery, west of Concord. Friends may call after 2 p.m. Sunday at the Buchanan & Cody Funeral Home in Jacksonville where the family will meet friends from 5-7 p.m. Memorial gifts are suggested to People of The Book Lutheran Outreach to benefit missions or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Obituary information is available online at www.buchanancody.com.