Edith Jean (Vance) Nickell
- Published: August 12, 2024
Edith Jean (Vance) Nickell, age 96, longtime resident of Yellow Springs, passed away Aug. 11, 2024.
Jean was born Feb. 3, 1928, in West Liberty, Kentucky, and grew up in White Oak on her father’s tobacco farm. They had donkeys, but Jean loved visiting her uncle and riding his horses. When she was 18 years-old, Jean moved to Dayton for two years with her sister Vivian. She eloped on April 3, 1948 with the love of her life, Herbert Nickell. Jean moved her husband and two children to Yellow Springs in 1964 and her husband built them a home on Sutton Road.
Jean started her career in food service at Antioch College as a waitress at The Inn when she was 38. She then worked at The Caf and ended her career in student dining services at age 78. She loved being a part of the Antioch community, chatting with the students and spending the days with her co-workers. She made a lot of good friends at Antioch over the years and relished the relationships she made.
Jean was a devoted Christian and was a member of the Methodist Church in Old Town for over 40 years. She enjoyed getting the church program from them every week after she was no longer able to attend in person.
While Jean loved her Yellow Springs home, she continued to be closely connected with her large family in Kentucky. She spent a lot of time with her parents, sisters and brothers over the years, bringing her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to visit as much as possible.
Jean loved her family and would do anything for them. When you entered her home, she was at the stove cooking up the best food in Yellow Springs. She was great fun at a game of cards; no one could beat her at Gin-Rummy. She loved to travel, visiting family and spending time at the beach. Jean will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and a fierce friend.
Jean is survived by one sister, Vivan House, of South Carolina; one daughter, Linda (Nickell) Richmond, of New York; one grandson, Chris Nickell (wife Amy), of Centerville, Ohio; one granddaughter, Nicole (Richmond) Breslin (husband Liam) of Johns Creek, Georgia; five great-granddaughters, Carissa Nickell, Grace Breslin, Kaitlyn Nickell, Libby Lou Breslin, and Arabella Nickell; two great-grandsons, Aengus Breslin and Cash Nickell; and many nieces and nephews. Jean was preceded in death by her parents Lee Roy and Tela Vance; husband, Herbert Nickell; one son, David Nickell; one great-granddaughter, Christyna Nickell; brothers, Edward and Jimmy Vance; and sisters, Mildred Kirk and Betty Lacy Wells.
Services will be held Wednesday, Aug. 14, at Glen Forest Cemetery in Yellow Springs, with Pastor Ken Martin officiating. Expressions of sympathy may be made online to the family at http://www.mccolaughfuneralhome.com.
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