Elsye M. Nicholson

The funeral For Elsye is 11am Saturday, January 8 at Presbyterian United Methodist Church, Ellendale with Pastor Paul Henschen officiating. Visiation is one hour prior to services at the church on Saturday. Visitation at the funeral chapel has been canceled. Burial is in the spring at Ellendale City Cemetery. Arrangements by Hoven Funeral Chapel. www.hovenfuneralchapel.com Elsye Nicholson died peacefully at Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center in Bismarck, ND on January 1, 2011 at 100 years of age. Elsye was born on May 14, 1910 to David and Elisabeth Schimke and was the second oldest of nine children. As Germans from Russia, the family immigrated to the United States when Elsye was 9 months old. They homesteaded in Wyoming and when Elsye was 8 years old, they moved to North Dakota and purchased a farm near Forbes where the Schimke children attended the Grand Valley #1 country school. As a teen Elsye sewed and cut hair in order to earn enough money to rent a room in Ellendale so she could complete her high school education and earn her teaching certificate. She began teaching in 1934 at her home school. On May 12, 1935 she married Gilbert Nicholson who was also from the Forbes area. They bought a home in Ellendale where they raised their two children and where Gilbert worked at the MDU. Elsye returned to college in 1954 to earn her BA in education and continued teaching at area schools until she retired. They had two grandchildren and three great grandchildren and Elsye cherished every moment she could spend with each of them. Gilbert and Elsye were members of the Presbyterian United Methodist Church, she belonged to many clubs and was a member of the Order of Eastern Star. She enjoyed entertaining friends and family in her home where the coffee pot was always on and there were always homemade deserts. Elsye enjoyed many hobbies including oil and china painting, reading, needlework, and gardening. Gilbert and Elsye worked together on many projects where he did the woodwork and she did the designing and the painting. Their home was a showplace for many of their projects. She was a collector of many things from glassware to rocks and often had to carry additions to the collections home from their travels. They traveled to many countries and all of the states except Alaska, and they loved spending time at Pheasant Lake, ND and Detroit Lakes, MN. She enjoyed riding in a fast boat and drove a jet ski when in her 80’s. Elsye was adventurous and often was one of the first to step up and try something new. She loved to laugh and was good at showing others how to have fun. In 1980 Elsye started a kitchen band which entertained for over 10 years. She loved music and enjoyed dancing whenever the opportunity presented itself. At age 92 she danced the night away at her grandson’s wedding. Gilbert died in 1993 and in 2001 Elsye moved to Evergreen Place in Ellendale. In 2007 she moved to MSLCC in Bismarck, ND. This past May she enjoyed her 100th birthday party which was attended by family and friends. Honoring her memory and grateful to have shared in her life are her children: Judy Nicholson of Woodland, CA, and Jerry (Stacy) Nicholson of Bismarck, ND; her grandchildren: Cari Nicholson of Hermosa Beach, CA, and Scott (Kristin) Nicholson of Breckenridge, MN; her great grandchildren: Kaylin, Grace and Jacob of Breckenridge, MN; her siblings: Toby (Eugena) Schimke of Ephrata, WA and Evelyn (Clarence) Heil of Plainfield, IL; and many nieces and nephews. Elsye was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her siblings: Emil Schimke, Olga Pomplun, Helen Luckey, Martha Redmon, Reuben Schimke, and Ellwood Schimke. Casket Bearers: Scott Nicholson, Kristin Nicholson, Grace Nicholson, Cari Nicholson, Kaylin Nicholson, Jacob Nicholson.