Ella Wease Nickleberry

“Anything is Possible” That is what Mrs. Ella Nickleberry believed about life. She was a creative lady, a perpetual inventor, who seemed to be able to find a solution for any difficulty confronting her. She had faith in her ability to find those solutions. Ella thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her family and understanding how things worked. She possessed an inquisitive, confident, and rational nature matched with a versatile and agile mind.

Ella was born in Houston, Texas and raised in Simonton, Texas until her family moved to Phoenix, Arizona during her teenage years. Her parents Bennie and Juanita McCloud wanted a better life in the city for Ella and her three siblings; one older brother, Joe Wright (deceased), and two younger sisters, Earnestine Williams of Phoenix, Arizona and Alice McCrae (deceased).

Ella attended high school in Phoenix, but had to drop out to help her family make ends meet. She worked in the cotton fields and later as a Nanny for a family of six. She met her husband, Warnis Nickleberry in Phoenix, Arizona in 1952. In December of 1955, Ella moved to Portland, Oregon and married Warnis on December 27, 1955. The two of them believed in family and provided food, shelter and love to other family members who moved to Portland. They were a great team and believed in the Lord. Their home was often filled with family and the host home for family Thanksgiving dinners. Her husband, who preceded her in death, was a longtime member of a Christian Singing Group, the Sensational Portlandaires. Ella also sang in a Christian Singing Group, the Portland Seminaries.

Ella was a focused worker with a strong drive for achievement. She was a homemaker, an active Portland Teacher Association (PTA) volunteer, a Nightwatch employee of the Albertina Kerr Girls Home and held various church positions. She could assess all of the options before her and could comfortably find answers that no one else had even considered, hence sprung her nickname "The wise old owl."

Ella was the peacemaker, never wanting to see her family in conflict but always wanting everyone to embrace their love for each other. She would express her love with her unforgettable bear hugs that would lift your spirits. Because of her peacefulness, she was ever so gentle in her touch and words, always speaking with truth and wisdom. The sound of her gentle voice would soothe your soul. She also carried the joy of the Lord with her contagious laugh and her glowing smile. She has passed on these qualities to many but especially to her daughter Sharon.

Her favorite pursuits were reading the bible, gardening, storytelling, cooking and keeping up with current news events and her soap operas. Ella was also something of a sports fan as she enjoyed watching the Portland Trail Blazers over the years. Faith and religion were also important to Ella as she was a member of Corner Stone Community Church of God In Christ for many years. She served faithfully as a church mother and prayer warrior until health issues got in her way.

Ella passed away on October 28th, 2012 at home in Portland, Oregon embraced in the arms of her daughter with her son-in-law and granddaughter at her bedside. She is survived by her sister, Earnestine Williams, daughter Sharon and her husband Kevin Rogers, also her granddaughter Faith Rogers, goddaughter Sandra and her husband Eddie Alexander (Naples, Texas) and a host of nieces and nephews, extended family and friends. Ella will be laid to rest in Rose City Cemetery in Portland, Oregon.

During her lifetime, nothing appeared impossible to Ella. She met the words "it can't be done" with the enthusiastic adage of "all things are possible, with the help of the lord" attitude. For Mrs. Ella Nickleberry, the fun of living her life could be found in the challenge of any obstacle, the joy in her heart and the sound of her laughter.