Ted Nickel

Theodore (Ted) David Nickel

Ted Nickel was the second son of David Theodore Nickel and Marie Dick Nickel born August 1, 1918 in Mountain Lake, Minnesota. Ted’s dad began his career as a one-room schoolhouse teacher on the plains of southwest Minnesota. He left teaching and started farming so he could “make a living to raise a family.” Their farm was just outside the town of Mountain Lake and Ted and his older brother Walter worked on the farm and rode the bus to school in town. In addition to working on the farm, Ted worked at the local implement store. Their family was actively involved at the Lakeview Mennonite Church at the edge of town.

After High School Ted’s brother continued running the family farm while Ted pursued his father’s other career in education. He attended a small Bible College in Mountain Lake and Freeman Junior College in South Dakota then got on a train and headed to Wheaton, IL where he graduated in 1945 from Wheaton College with a degree in Social Work. Ted was known to name drop that he was a classmate of Billy Graham while at Wheaton.

Ted’s degree made him qualified for several jobs. He started working in Minneapolis with the Boys Club, then was recruited by the Rescue Mission in nearby St. Paul, and became the director of the Boys Club of America running through the St. Paul Rescue Mission. Ted organized the after school programs and summer camps for the underprivileged boys in St. Paul. In the course of developing activities for these boys he connected with a young lady who was also working at the mission. She was full of ideas and experience working with crafts. The young lady was Rose Ann, and through many planning sessions, working together teaching Sunday School and escorting her home after night activities their relationship developed and after a year and a half of working together they made plans to get married.

While plans for a wedding were going forward things were changing at the Mission and Ted was recruited to teach at a new Christian high school, Berean Academy in Elbing, Kansas. Ted’s level of education and experience on the farm equipped him as a good fit for the start up rural high school. So plans to move to Kansas after the wedding were made.

The wedding took place on August 1, 1947 (same day as Ted’s 29th birthday) and a honeymoon followed in Duluth, Minnesota and Lake Superior, the romantic destination of couples in Minnesota. After the honeymoon they packed up the few possessions they had in a trailer and headed to Kansas. Arriving in Elbing they were greeted by many new friends who welcomed them with meals and dinners out on many occasions. The school provided their first home, which became know as “The Honeymoon Cottage.” The cottage had a porch, kitchen, living room and one bedroom. It was missing a bathroom, which was on a brick pathway outside. The cottage was also missing running water. Across the street was a cistern from which they carried water into the cottage. Because of the war and shortages of appliances it took a little over a month for a stove to come into the cottage. They were frequently invited out to meals with families in the community. Their meals at home were typically toasted cheese and tomato soup. It took a longer time for a refrigerator to become available so until one arrived they kept food cool by lowering a bucket of food into the neighbor’s well.

Several years of teaching and building lifelong friendship continued. Ted and Rose Ann would return to the University of Minnesota to take college classes during the summer. He used these classes to prepare for his teaching assignments the next year as an industrial arts and science teacher. Rose Ann taught PE classes and coached girl’s basketball and softball teams. We learned later in life that during these years of coaching that Rose Ann coached against the mother of their son David’s wife, and she is proud to announce that her team won. Eventually Ted turned his attention to attending summer classes at Emporia State Teachers College where he earned a Masters Degree in Education Administration.

They followed their commitment to the Mennonite Church and to Christian education in Meade and Hutchinson Kansas where Ted served as a teacher and then became the Principal at Central Christian Academy. While in Elbing their daughter Janet and son David were born in the nearby town of Newton. While in Meade their youngest, Gordon was born. The Meade hospital was so small that Ted was called on to assist the Doctor in the delivery because the nurse was not available on the weekend.

Classroom teachers, dorm parents, coaching, bus driving, serving as principal and being parents represented their responsibilities while in Kansas. They experienced first hand Mennonite hospitality. The hospitality they experienced became the hallmark of their home where ever they lived.

Because of Ted’s experience in teaching and his degrees he was recruited to lead a developing teacher education department at Fort Wayne Bible College in Fort Wayne, IN. When the children found out they were moving from Kansas to Indiana at the ages of 6 to 10 they thought they were moving to the other side of the world.

When the family arrived in Fort Wayne in 1962 they moved into a home rented from First Missionary Church. It was on the same block as the church and walking distance from the College.

First Missionary Church became their home church. While raising their family, Ted worked to prepare students to become elementary teachers and Rose Ann developed the Instructional Materials area of the College’s library.

Ted and one of his colleagues, Arlan worked for many summers as house painters to earn extra cash for their families. During this time the church grew and needed more room for parking. The Nickel family was finally able to purchase their first home next to the one they were renting. The church moved forward with their plans to create more parking and they cleared all the houses up to the Nickel’s house. They had a view from the kitchen window onto the parking lot and the church activities. The house was so close to the parking lot that on one occasion someone backed a vehicle into the side door moving the brick foundation slightly.

The college was the center of Ted and Rose Ann’s work and First Missionary church the center of the families’ spiritual life. From the edge of the parking lot someone in the family was in the church building pretty much every day of the week.

Ted worked a full day at the college, came home for dinner and many nights walked back to his office to get more work done. He was active with the Indiana Department of Education and developed the manual for teacher education at the college to meet state credentials.

Ted also felt the pressure to add to his credentials for the college so he decided to pursue his Doctorate. It was back to attending graduate classes during the summers and weekends with Walden University. After completing a demanding dissertation he earned his doctorate in 1980 just seven years before his retirement. He was teased that his pay raise in those few years wouldn’t be enough to cover the cost of getting the degree. He retired from Summit Christian College (the new name for Fort Wayne Bible College) in 1987. After retirement Ted continued to serve as an associate at D.O. McCombs Funeral Home for another 15 years. He served in various roles at the church, the school board of Fort Wayne Christian School and other educational advisory roles.

Through all their years in Fort Wayne, Ted and Rose Ann hosted in their home students, friends of their children, guest speakers, traveling missionaries, relatives and out of town friends visiting the area. Whether it was Swedish meatballs, rhubarb dessert, or peanut bar treats, everyone felt welcome at the home of the Nickels.

Ted and Rose Ann traveled to many destinations, to Europe, Africa to visit their daughter Janet, California, Colorado, Michigan and Minnesota to be with their children, grandchildren and relatives. They have been blessed to experience so many happy occasions with family and friends over the years.

God has used Ted’s faithful life and service to nurture a love for God in his family. His students were taught to view their life and their vocation as a way to give glory to God and to serve our Lord Jesus. His relatives and friends knew that he was kind, generous to help, and loyal.

Having experienced many fulfilling years of service, the love of friends and family, and 64 years of companionship and love with Rose Ann, Ted was ready for his home going and the sweet embrace of his Lord and Savior. We, however, will miss Ted, a friend, an uncle, a grandfather, a father-in-law, a dad, and a husband.

Ted Nickel died on Sunday, January 15, 2012 at the age of 93. Ted and Rose Ann were married for 64 years.

Theodore (Ted) David Nickel

Ted Nickel was the second son of David Theodore Nickel and Marie Dick Nickel born August 1, 1918 in Mountain Lake, Minnesota. Ted’s dad began his career as a one-room schoolhouse teacher on the plains of southwest Minnesota. He left teaching and started farming so he could “make a living to raise a family.” Their farm was just outside the town of Mountain Lake and Ted and his older brother Walter worked on the farm and rode the bus to school in town. In addition to working on the farm, Ted worked at the local implement store. Their family was actively involved at the Lakeview Mennonite Church at the edge of town.

After High School Ted’s brother continued running the family farm while Ted pursued his father’s other career in education. He attended a small Bible College in Mountain Lake and Freeman Junior College in South Dakota... READ MORE →