View source for Nickel, Isaac J. (1895-1960)

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Isaac J. Nickel was a teacher, farmer and a pastor, born on 31 January 1895 in the village of New York, [[Ignatyevka Mennonite Settlement (Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine)|Ignatyevo]], Ukraine and died in Bordon, [[Saskatchewan (Canada)|Saskatchewan]] on 15 August 1960.  His parents were Johann and Margaretha (Dyck) Nickel. Isaac’s father was also a teacher, and later also a preacher of the gospel. 

Upon completing his village and Fortbildung schooling, he attended the teacher training college in Chortitza obtaining his teacher's certification. [[Epp, Dietrich H. (1875-1955)|Dietrich H. Epp]] was one of his teachers, and Elder [[Dyck, Isaak G. (1847-1929)|Isaak G. Dyck]] was the minister who, in 1915, baptized Isaac upon the confession of his faith into the [[Chortitza Mennonite Church (Chortitza, Chortitza Mennonite Settlement, Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine)|Chortitza Mennonite Church]].

The [[World War (1914-1918)|First World War]] and the [[Russian Revolution and Civil War|Russian Revolution]] caused great changes and difficulties in the lives of the Nickel family members. Isaac’s father Johann died of typhus in [[Burwalde (Chortitza Mennonite Settlement, Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine)|Burwalde]], Ukraine, in 1920, after which Isaac took over his teaching position for several years. In 1921 Isaac married his stepsister, Katherine Thiessen, daughter of Johann's third wife and widow, Katharina (Enns) Thiessen. Together they had three sons and three daughters. In 1923 the young Isaac Nickel couple and their infant daughter Katherine were among the first of many thousands of immigrants who left for [[Canada]] to seek a safer and more secure life. Isaac, together with his older brother Jacob purchased the farmstead of their maternal uncle, Isaak Dueck in Great Deer, Saskatchewan.

In 1951 the [[Great Deer Bethel Mennonite Church (Great Deer, Saskatchewan, Canada)|Bethel Mennonite Church of Great Deer]], Saskatchewan, had been without a resident pastor for some years, though it was served by itinerant pastors like Cornelius F. Sawatzky and Arthur Friesen of the nearby Saskatchewan communities of Laird and Langham. That year Isaac was asked to accept the call to serve Bethel Church and Isaac consented to take this responsibility with great heaviness of heart, for he felt neither qualified nor in good enough health to undertake this sacred duty. He was ordained by Elder G. G. Epp of Eigenheim.  Isaac served his congregation faithfully until his death in 1960.


= Bibliography =
GRANDMA (The '''G'''enealogical '''R'''egistry '''an'''d '''D'''atabase of '''M'''ennonite '''A'''ncestry) Database, 22-08 ed. Fresno, CA: California Mennonite Historical Society, 2022: #401151.
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[[Category:Persons]]