Gerald D. Nickel was born Oct. 31, 1937, in Clinton, to Otto and Emma (Von Essen) Nickel. He passed away on June 14, 2019, in his Bessie home.
Gerald graduated from Oklahoma Bible Academy in Menno in 1955. Following graduation he attended Bethel College. In 1960, he served in the Army National Guard.
He married Florence Schmidt on June 20, 1962. They had two children, Monte and Cindy. Gerald worked for retail credit in his early years as an investigator.
He sold insurance for many years and later returned to the family farm where he grew up to pursue farming with his son Monte.
Farming was one of his great loves and he was a fourth generation farmer. Gerald loved driving tractor and watching Monte, Whitney, Carsen and Camryn harvest wheat.
He married Donna Shanta in October 1998. Gerald enjoyed following politics, OU football, and watching the OKC Thunder play basketball.
He was preceded in death by his parents. Gerald is survived by his son Monte Nickel and wife Carmen of Bessie; his daughter, Cindy Rogers and husband Todd of Edmond; one sister, Janis Keller and husband Bill of Houston, Texas; and grandchildren, Whitney and husband Tyler, Carsen, Camryn, and Reece.
A memorial service is under the direction of Alternatives Cremation & Funeral Service of Cordell. The celebration of Gerald’s life will be on Saturday, June 22, 2019, at 11:00 a.m., at the Cordell First United Methodist Church.