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- [S1335] North Dakota, U.S., Select County Marriage Records, 1872-2017.
Name: Vivian Anne Nicks
Gender: Female
Marriage Age: 22
Birth Year: abt 1955
Marriage Date: 6 Aug 1977
Marriage Place: Williams
Filing Place: North Dakota, USA
Spouse: Robert Edward Kalmik
- [S1391] Obituary of Richard Eugene NICKS.
Richard Eugene Nicks, 88, of Williston, N.D. went to Heaven on June 30, 2015 surrounded by Love, Laughter and Music.
As a baby, he wasn’t expected to live, so on September 13, 1926 his mom and dad, Osro R. and Katherine (Jackson) Nicks chose to deliver him at home in Springfield, Missouri by the midwife. At the age of 2 his parents took up land in Stettler, Alberta, Canada. Richard grew up on the farm and attended school through the seventh grade. He had such severe allergies that kept him from attending school, so he decided to become a self-educated and a self-taught man, reading and studying and exploring just for the satisfaction of the knowledge. For fun dad would read encyclopedias from cover to cover. He enlisted into the U.S. Army on April 18, 1946 during WWII in the 27th Infantry. Dad was a Radio Operator sending and receiving messages by code and rode the Bullet Train as a Courier. He was honorably discharged in 1949 at the rank of Staff Sergeant, receiving the WWII Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal Japan and the MKM Rifle badge.
Returning to Canada he began driving a water truck on a road crew. He would fill up at the Salisbury General Store & Gas Station, where he was served by the owner’s daughter, a beautiful dark haired girl wearing rolled up jeans, bobby socks and saddle shoes. Her smile would turn any man’s head and that she did to Richard. After two weeks they were engaged and married 7 months later on April 17, 1952.
Such a testimony to commitment and love that after 63 years Dick was still calling “Mama” his sweetie and the two are featured on the Fudrucker’s webpage drinking “one soda with two straws.”
Dad’s work life was truly an Adventure! From building roads through the Muskegs of northern Canada, (oh how he loved operating the grader), to working in a fish market (where every Friday night he would bring home flat bread and crab meat to share with “Mama” after the kids were put to bed), to driving a gravel truck, a cement truck, tour, school, and sports bus, and then to cooking pork rinds at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. Moving the family to Williston in 1969, Dad worked for Borsheim Builders. He would love to drive around town pointing out the many buildings and roads he had a hand in by pouring the cement. He drove the Williston Coyotes to sporting events and the Bethel Home bus for 14 years!
Thousands and thousands of miles later and retiring in 1991, you could describe Dad’s work career with one of his favorite songs “18 Wheels and a Dozen Roses”.
Dad enjoyed receiving Sweet Pea flowers from Tom and Connie Bloch’s Garden, country music, trains, writing poetry, drinking coffee, eating Worthers Coffee Toffee, studying to be an EMT and traveling all around the US and Canada, highlighted by a trip to Hawaii and being on the Honor Fight to Washington D.C. to view his WWII Monument. He was a member of the American Legion Post #37.
Dad was born into the Baptist Faith, was re-baptized in 1970 at the First Union Church and found home at the Williston Church of the Nazarene. Dad read the Bible from cover to cover and practiced a quiet and reserved faith. A quiet man with a big smile and a gracious spirit, his children learned about strong work ethics, respect and doing what was right.
Preceding Richard in death were his mom and dad, brother Grant, sister Geneva, sons-in-law, sister and brothers-in-law, and cousins.
Richard is survived by his wife Verna of 63 years, Son Wayne Nicks (Dorothy) and his children Michelle (Paul) Locken of Williston and Caitlin Nicks of Bismarck. Daughter Vivian Kalmik and her children Samantha (Jason) Canerdy , Allayna (Brenden) Stevens and family friends Bob Erickson and Tim Melland all of Williston. Daughter Donna Nicks (Mike Schallock) of Hesper, IA and her children Naomi (Bryce) Bothe -Luckey Biederman from Decorah IA, Richard (Jen) Bothe from Ray, Joseph Luckey- Bothe from Portland, OR, William(Christine Richardson) Bothe from Chicago, IL. And 13 Great Grandchildren who brought out the smile and twinkle in grandpa’s eyes: Bryn, Wyatt, Sailyr, Katarina, Mackenzie, Victor, Emylinn, Aksel, Osro, Boedy, Linkin, Royal & Aislynn.
Richard is also survived by many Sister’s and Brother’s In Law, and nieces and nephews in Canada, cousins, and a Special Nephew Dave Fleshman from Calgary , Alberta.
In Lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity of your choice.
Fulkerson Funeral Home
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Abt 1953 - Bef 2015 (~ 62 years)