Obituary of Harry Gordon Nickel

Harry Gordon Nickel was born May 29, 1940 in Provost, Alberta to Henry and Margaret Nickel. He attended Greenglade School for grades 1-5 and then Provost School from grades 6-9. He kept busy by helping neighbors with their chores, going to community dances, and working with his father. In 1964, Harry purchased the Nickel family farm that his father had homesteaded in 1906. He married Karen Jeffcoat of Edgerton, Alberta in 1967 and they started a new family on the farm. Harry made an honest living grain farming and raising cattle. He proudly worked at the Provost Livestock Exchange for 30 years. He was very active in the Provost United Church, Green Glade Community and Stainsleigh 4-H Club. He was a long-time board member of the Provost Seed Cleaning Plant and later in life, an active member of the Provost District Museum Society where he took great joy in preserving and showcasing the history of rural life in Provost. The Nickel farm has always been a gathering place for many special family events and Harry loved bringing everyone together. He especially took pride in teaching his nieces and nephews about the farm and engaging with them in all kinds of fun farm activities such as skidooing and tobogganing in the winter and swinging from the rafters in the barn hayloft during the summer. Harry was delighted when the grandkids would come to visit at the farm. They eagerly jumped at the chance to ride in his truck with him to check cows and he would share stories about life on the farm. Every visit involved a game of crib where Grandpa always seemed to win. Harry enjoyed getting together with neighbors and friends for a game of horseshoes, or shuffle board and always a card game. He looked forward to the annual Green Glade School picnic where he would reminisce about days gone by and shared his vivid memories with the younger generation. Harry was always happy to help out his neighbors with building projects, cattle and repairs. He was active in curling and enjoyed going to bonspiels, more-so for the socializing than the curling itself. He always looked forward to talking with people from other communities and comparing crop years and farm life. He was a walking history book of the Greenglade to Chauvin area; had a picture-perfect memory and always had an interesting story to tell. During retirement, Harry took great pride in spending many hours restoring antique wagons. He also loved meeting up with friends for coffee and visiting the auction market on Fridays to make sure things were still running smoothly. He looked forward to running into people at the market that he hadn’t seen in a long time, or talking with someone new about their cattle. In 2018, Harry and Karen moved into the Hillcrest Lodge in Provost. Harry continued his love of playing cards, he jumped at the chance for a field trip or to go for a drive, and he still found time to visit at the auction market right next door. Harry passed away peacefully on November 20, 2021 at the Provost Health Centre at the age of 81 years. He will be lovingly remembered and dearly missed by his wife of 54 years, Karen Nickel; their 3 children, Henry; Linda and her children, Jordan and Robin; Bruce (Maria) and their children, Emma and Dylan; his sister, Leona Wyers; brother-in-law, Tom Campbell; sister-in-law, Doris Nickel; and many beloved nieces and nephews. Harry was predeceased by his parents, Henry and Margaret Nickel; parents-in-law, Claude and Esther Jeffcoat; brother, George Nickel; sister, Clara Schumacher; brother-in-laws, Otto Wyers, Larry Schumacher, Allen Jeffcoat and Stan Jeffcoat; sister-in-laws, Shirley Campbell and Pat Jeffcoat, as well as nephew, Claude Jeffcoat. Our family would like to extend a special thank you to the warm and supportive staff at Hillcrest Lodge, to Gregory’s Funeral Home for their excellent care of Harry and family, as well as to the Provost Hospital staff and to Dr. Wendy Wang in Calgary, for their compassion and exceptional care. On behalf of the entire Nickel family, we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who expressed their condolences and well wishes. We are forever grateful to have loving and supportive family and friends who helped us through this difficult time. A funeral service for Harry will be held on Saturday, November 27, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. at the Central Lutheran Church in Provost, Alberta with Reverend Greg Parker officiating. Harry’s Funeral Service will be open to the public and will be following the Restriction Exception Program, which requires all to provide Proof of Vaccination (2 weeks post second shot) or a negative COVID Test within 72 hours to attend. If you wish to plant a tree in a local cemetery, please contact GFH directly at 780-753-2332.