Plot D46
David W Nickel was born at home on November 14, 1919, to Wilhelm T and Maria (Friesen) Nickel. The Nickel farm was located north of Mountain Lake in Carson Township, Cottonwood County, Minnesota. David attended District #69 Crossroads School in section 11 of Carson Township from 1927 until his graduation from eighth grade on July 12, 1934. David then boarded in Mountain Lake so that he could attend Mountain Lake High School, from which he graduated on June 2, 1938. During his years in high school, David enjoyed being part of the Lakers basketball team. Following his high school graduation, David completed a three-month course at the Minneapolis Business College in downtown Minneapolis. On May 16, 1937, David was baptized upon confession of his faith and received as a member of the Bergfelder Mennonite (later Gospel Mennonite and then Lakeview Gospel Church) where he remained a member throughout his life. David's first job was as an employee of Hubbard & Palmer Elevators in their locations in Mountain Lake and Adrian, Minnesota. During World War II, David served in Civilian Public Service at Camp Denison in Iowa from February 1942 until June 1944. He then returned to Cottonwood County and worked on road construction with Rueben Minion until the fall of 1944. David resumed employment with Hubbard & Palmer and managed their elevator in Fulton, South Dakota, for five years. During the summer of 1950, David once again came back to Mountain Lake and drove bulk truck for John F. Stoesz. In the fall of that year, he purchased and began operating the Storden Feed Mill in Storden, Minnesota. On June 22, 1951, David married Amanda N. Ewert at the Bethel Mennonite Church in Marion, South Dakota. From 1951 until 1984, David and Amanda resided in Storden, Minnesota. While they lived in Storden, the Nickels regularly attended the Storden Baptist Church. David served on the Village of Storden Council as a Trustee from January 1954 through December 1959. During his years in business, he was also a member of the Storden Commercial Club. In 1967, David sold the feed mill and worked as a salesman, first for Pax Steel Products and then for the StorMor Company. In 1978 David began working at Toro Manufacturing in Windom and was employed there until the fall of 1987. During his retirement years, David enjoyed working part-time laying carpet with his brother Jacob Nickel and helping his nephew Donald Nickel during the farming season. 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. David also enjoyed following local, state, and national sports teams; fishing locally and in northern Minnesota and Canada; doing chair caning and refinishing projects; and visiting with neighbors, friends, and relatives.

In 1984, David and Amanda moved to Mountain Lake, Minnesota. They lived in their home there until November 2002 when they became residents of Mikkelsen Manor in Windom, Minnesota. In February of 2003 Amanda moved to the Sogge Good Samaritan Home while David stayed on at Mikkelsen Manor and continued to spend every noon and evening with Amanda until her passing. David was a resident of Mikkelsen Manor until December 2007. He then spent a short time at the Eventide Home in Mountain Lake before becoming a resident of the Windom Sogge Good Samaritan Home in March of 2008. He resided there until his death on February 19, 2011.
David was preceded in death by his wife, Amanda, his parents, seven brothers (William, Peter, Theodore, Theodore, Jacob, Abram, and John), four sisters (Anna, Marie, Elizabeth, and Katherine), and four sisters-in-law (Katherine, Linda, Susan, and Sara).
Obituary courtesy of Sturm Funeral Home