Helen E. McNichols

Services are pending for Helen E. McNichols of Blair, who died on Monday, February 11, 2013, at Memorial Community Hospital in Blair. Campbell-Aman Funeral Home in Blair is in charge of arrangements.

Posted On-line: Thursday, February 14, 2013; Published in The Enterprise, Friday, February 15, 2013

Helen E. McNichols, 93

Helen E. (Pedersen) McNichols, 93, died Monday, February 11, 2013, at Memorial Community Hospital in Blair.

A memorial service will be 1 p.m. March 9, 2013 at First Lutheran Church in Blair. Military graveside services will follow at the Blair Cemetery.

Helen Elizabeth Pedersen was born September 7, 1919, in Omaha to Dr. Andrew M. Pedersen and Anna S. (Hansen) Pedersen.

The family lived in several mid-western towns during the 1920s before settling in Blair.

She attended high school in Irwin, Iowa, from 1933 to 1935 and then Blair High School, where she was a graduate with the Class of 1937. She attended Dana College for a year and the Immanuel Hospital School of Nursing in Omaha. Upon her graduation, she worked at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Md., as the assistant head nurse in OB.

She served in the Army Nurse Corps as a 2nd Lieutenant, having enlisted March 5, 1945. She served at various places: Camp Carson, Colo. 7th Service Command Army Nurse Corps Training Center, 1775 SCU Stat Com. Station Hosp, Ft. Snelling, Minn., ASF Pers Pepl Depot Camp Beale, Calif, US Hospital Ship Marigold, 13th Sta Hosp APO 321 Philippines Wespac, Paranoque Repl & Disp Ctr APO 354 and the USS Gen. Mitchell. She was separated at the Separation Center Camp Stoneman, Ft. Sheridan, Ill., on March 2nd, 1946.

On April 19, 1947, she married Jack E. McNichols at First Lutheran Church in Blair.

She was employed at Immanuel Hospital in Omaha as the assistant supervisor in OB.

Then she started her career at Memorial Community Hospital in Blair as a staff nurse; then director of nursing; in-service director and retired from there in December of 1984.

Mrs. McNichols was always described as a “whirlwind,” working full time, raising four children and participating in several organizations.

She participated in the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Red Cross, FACES, Republican Women, American Legion Auxiliary, VFW Auxiliary, Extension Club, Memorial Community Hospital Auxiliary, Washington County Nurses’ Association, PTA, First Lutheran Church's Women's Circles, choir, “In-Betweeners” and church council and the Good Shepherd Home board of directors.

Her family found that they needed to give her an answering machine to even have a chance to “catch her” or have her know they tried.

She is survived by children, Linda Diane and spouse Bob Vergamini, (two biological and three "by-accident" adopted children and 11 great-grands), Donald Bruce and spouse Patti "Rain" - 1 son freshman in high school), Debra Ann Brown (Ted -2 children); daughter-in-law, Ludette and three sons (two of which are our by-accidents); siblings and their spouses, Art(Mary), Carl (Pam) and Ruth.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack in 1964; son, Gerald Eugene; brother, Paul; sister, Inga; and son-in-law, Ted Brown.

#2 Enterprise Friday 8 March 2013

Helen E. McNichols, 93

A memorial service for Helen E. (Pedersen) McNichols, 93, of Blair will be 1 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at First Lutheran Church in Blair. Military graveside services will follow at the Blair Cemetery.

Mrs. McNichols died Monday, February 11, 2013, at Memorial Community Hospital in Blair.

Campbell-Aman Funeral Home in Blair is in charge of arrangements.

#3 Funeral Leaflet

In Loving Memory of Helen E. McNichols

Born September 7th, 1919 Omaha, Nebraska; Entered Into Rest February 11th, 2013 Blair, Nebraska

Memorial Service 1:00 P.M. Saturday, February 9th, 2013 First Lutheran Church, Blair, Nebraska. Officiating: Pastor Pam Ciulla. Organist: Clare Cowing. Special Music Provided By Bob & Linda Vergamini. Vocal Selections: “I Still Believe”, “O Glorious Day”. Congregational Selections: “Amazing Grace”, “The King Of Love My Shepherd Is”, “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee”

Casket Bearers (Grandsons): Jeff Bishop, John Bishop, Michael Fischer, Marc Fischer, Adam Lippincott, Chad Lippincott, Derek Lippincott, Todd Longwell, Wyatt Sumey

Place of Rest: Blair Cemetery, Blair, Nebraska

~~~Obituary and funeral leaflet courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings and leaflets on file in the Blair Public at Blair, Nebraska. ~~~

FindaGrave #117278658