Emily Goebel Nicholas

When Emily Nicholas walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Emily was and how she impacted those around her. Emily was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Emily wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Emily was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life.

Emily was born on January 4, 1920 at the family home in Bellwood, Illinois. She was the daughter of Peter and Wilhelmina Meinhardt Goebel, who raised Emily in Bellwood. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Emily might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Emily was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.

Emily was raised with four siblings. She had older sisters Molly and Dorothy; an older brother Fred; and a younger sister Wilhelmina. Emily was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Emily was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Emily well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.

During her high school years, Emily responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. She attended two years at Proviso East High School. Emily was a very good student, and generally did well in her courses. Emily absorbed as much as she could from all of her teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using her imagination to master her assignments. For Emily, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to her ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Emily a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to her to discuss just about anything.

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought her an endless stream of friends, Emily was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Emily was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. She always seemed aware of what was going on with people around her and throughout her life she made many, many friends. While growing up, one of her best friends was Pauline Morema, and this friendship lasted a lifetime.

On November 7, 1942 Emily married Frank Wesley Nicholas at Zion Lutheran Church of Bellwood, Illinois. Emily's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in her ability to make her new family happy. She was quite sensitive towards Frank's needs, showing her constant concern and fondness. Emily was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served her well in helping to nurture her family.

Emily was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Emily, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Nicholas home. Emily's skill at understanding her children's feelings, her sensitivity to their needs, and her gift for gentle persuasion enabled her to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Emily and Frank were blessed with three children: John, Linda and Donna. They were also blessed with six grandchildren, Heather, Julia, Abbie, Joshua, Holly and Heidi.

Emily was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made her an exceptional worker. Her primary occupation was as a factory worker. She was employed for many years by Jefferson Electric, Automatic Electric Comps and Reliable Electric. Emily was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize her. Emily had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of her gift for insight. Emily's fellow workers saw her as a supporter and a mentor.

Because Emily loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were needlepointing, crochet, baking and cooking. Emily had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Emily's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Throughout her life, Emily was actively involved in professional and community organizations. She was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Emily seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Emily usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with her, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. Throughout her later years, Emily was an active member of the Berkeley Senior's Club.

Emily was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a member for most of her life at Zion Lutheran Church in Bellwood. Most recently Emily was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Villa Park. She was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and she used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for her beliefs.

Emily's love of improvising in her daily life was a perfect fit for her enjoyment of traveling. Her favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit her personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Emily took her vacations seriously, well, as seriously as she possibly could. Favorite vacations included the memorable trips to the Canadian Rockies and to Europe.

Emily was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. She had a Boxer dog named Lady. Her family was rounded out by her cat named Bootsie.

When Emily's retirement finally came in 1985, Emily handled it the way she usually did. She adapted and, like everything in her life, made it satisfying. Because she was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for Emily to master. In retirement, she found continued pleasure by staying active in church and playing poker with her fellow seniors in Berkeley. Even in retirement, Emily continued to stay in touch with her old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

Emily Nicholas passed away on April 12, 2010 at Lexington Healthcare in Elmhurst, Illinois. She is survived by her children John, Linda and Donna; her sister Wilma and brother Fred; grandchildren Heather, Heidi, Holly, Julia, Joshua, and Abbie; and great grandchildren Anna Rose, Hannah, Katelyn, and Connor.

Visitation Wednesday, April 14, 2010 from 3:00 pm until 8:00 pm at Chapel Hill Gardens West Funeral Home, 17W201 Roosevelt Road, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois (Just west of Rt. 83) with funeral services Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 11:00 am with Pastor Ramsey. Following the service, Emily was laid to rest in Chapel Hill Gardens West Cemetery.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Emily. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Emily Nicholas for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Emily was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones.