Beatrice Nickel

Picha Funeral Home, Locally Owned and Operated

Providing Friendly, Courteous and Dignified Funeral Service

Beatrice Olivia (Soma) Nickel, age 93 of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin died Friday, May 9, 2008 at the Reedsburg Area Medical Center in Reedsburg, Wisconsin with her family by her side.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church of Wisconsin Dells with Reverend Dennis Schueler and Vicar Douglas Taylor co-officiating. Visitation will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and on Wednesday at the church from 9:00 a.m. until the time of service at 11:00 a.m.

Beatrice was born September 27, 1914 and was the ninth child born to Peder and Bertha (Stensland) Soma, on a farm near Spring Valley, Minnesota. She was baptized by Pastor Hans Berg at the Bethlehem Norwegian Lutheran church. The family moved to Kilbourn (Wisconsin Dells), Wisconsin in 1919. Beatrice attended grade school in what was then Kilbourn, Wisconsin. Beatrice was confirmed May 25, 1928 at Trinity Lutheran Church Wisconsin Dells by the late Pastor Ewald Smukal where she had been a member since 1920. On November 12, 1931 she married Alfred H. Nickel. This union was blessed by two girls Bonnie and Darlene, and three boys Melvin, Gene, and Jerry. Beatrice was a special person taking care of her invalid mother for twenty-four years, and raising her children and two younger brothers, Stanley and Nenfred in the same farm house where she lived for seventy-two years. Beatrice was a 4-H leader in the Newport Busy Bees. She worked on the Election board for many years, and was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary for 35 years. She was active in the community helping neighbors when threshing, silo filling, and sawing wood. After her husband passed away, she went to work as a waitress at the Uphoff Rotunda for eighteen years. Beatrice and the late Clara Hauser were the ones who founded the Sons of Norway lodge organized in Wisconsin Dells in June 1978. Beatrice was president of the Vakkertland 5-570 lodge in 1983, 1990, and 1995 and also held other offices in the lodge for nineteen years. Beatrice received the Silver Merit Award for President of Sons of Norway in 1995. Beatrice was a delegate to three international conventions and six district conventions and has held offices in the lodge until 1999. Beatrice was a very proud devoted Norwegian who had made six trips to Norway where she visited relatives, and researched her ancestry through various cemeteries.

Beatrice was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Alfred; eight brothers, Nenfred, Ingebert, Oscar, Paul, Aimer, Laurie, Stanley, and Arlie Soma as well as two sister's, Milla Tovdal and Laida Platt; a grandson, Terry M. Nickel and a very special friend, Garland Whipp. Beatrice was very devoted as she stayed with her mother; brothers, Laurie and Paul; sisters, Laida and Milla; and brother-in-law, Martin Platt when they passed on. She sat with grandson Tim when he was shot and in the hospital. She sat with grandson Terry as he was dying. She stayed 32 days with her son Gene at Eau Claire Lutheran Hospital. She also spent many hours with her brother Stanley as he was in the nursing home with Alzheimer's. If anyone needed help, Beatrice was already there. She is survived by children, Bonnie Weber, Melvin (Kathy) Nickel, Darlene (Gaelyn) Schuette, Gene Nickel, and Jerry (Mary) Nickel. In addition she is survived by 20 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.