Elva E. Megee Nickle

Born: 1/12/1917
Died: 11/9/2012

Mrs. Elva Elizabeth Megee Nickle, age 95, of Delaware City, DE, transitioned from her earthly life on Friday, November 9, 2012.
A native Delawarean, Elva was born in the Dr. Henry Fisher House, circa 1725, on Pilottown Road in Lewes on January 12, 1917, daughter of the late Ernest Edward Megee, Sr. and Ressie Isabelle Scarborough Megee. At the age of four, she moved with her family to a local 320-acre farm where they grew wheat, corn, soybeans, and alfalfa and ran the Megee Dairy. Elva loved helping with the dairy from milking the cows to delivering the milk bottles by horse and wagon; she proudly considered herself a “farm girl” for the rest of her life. In 1999, true to her farm girl roots, she and her siblings were proud to donate to the Lewes Historical Society a one-room schoolhouse, formerly known as Midway School #178 and located on their farm.
Educated, herself, in a one-room schoolhouse known as the Cedar Grove School–where she excelled in spelling competitions–Elva would later graduate from Lewes High School and embark on a career in business, working for 10 years for the DuPont Company in Wilmington. While in Wilmington, Elva was introduced to The Honorable John Harry Nickle, Sr., who was Mayor of Delaware City at the time. The two soon fell in love and were married on May 3, 1941.
Initially, Elva assisted her husband in his Nationwide insurance agency in Delaware City. So adept was she in managing the agency, she established her own successful independent insurance firm, the Elva E. Nickle Agency, Inc., in 1945, and continued to serve as the company president for 50 years until her retirement in 1995.
Active in the Delaware City community, Elva is considered by many to be one of the true matriarchs of Christ Episcopal Church. She happily and generously served in nearly every church ministry and office, including the Greater Parish Council and the Vestry. Also, she had been a member of the Episcopal Church Women organization, the Superintendent of the Sunday School program, the Directress of the Altar Guild, a Lay Eucharistic Visitor, and a lay reader. Elva’s great faith led her to make two pilgrimages to the Holy Land–in 1984 and again in 2000–where she was profoundly moved and deeply grateful to have seen the birthplace of Christ and to have walked in His footsteps.
Elva’s beloved Harry passed away in 1993 after 52 years of marriage. She was also preceded in death by her son, John H. Nickle, Jr., Ph.D.; and siblings, Ernest E. Megee, Jr., Isabelle M. Quinn, and William V. Megee. She is survived by her children, Elva I. Nickle, Elizabeth N. Saunders (W. Daniel), and Henry E. Nickle (Anne J.); grandchildren, Amy E. Rominger, Elizabeth A. Nickle, Janet E. Saunders, Lee D. Herzog, D. Curtis Saunders, and Scott C. Nickle; and sisters-in-law, Mary A. Megee and Judith D. Megee. The family is extremely thankful for the caring “angels” from Home Instead who lovingly watched over Elva during her brief illness.
Visitation will be held from 6 pm to 8 pm on Friday, November 16th, at Christ Episcopal Church, 222 Clinton Street (Third and Clinton Streets), Delaware City. A funeral service will be held at 10 am on Saturday, November 17th, at the church. Interment will follow in Harbeson (DE) Cemetery at 2 pm.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Elva may be made to Christ Episcopal Church, Box 523, Delaware City, DE 19706.
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