Washington 1943 Hildegarde Frieda (Thamke) Nikoley

Mar. 15, 1925 - Aug. 03, 2016

BRIDGEMAN, MI - Hildegarde Frieda Nikoley, 91, of Bridgeman, MI, formally of South Bend, passed away Wednesday, August 3, 2016 at West Woods of Bridgman Nursing Home in Bridgman, Michigan. Born in South Bend, Indiana on March 15, 1925, she was the daughter of Gottfried and Alma (Grunwald) Thamke. Hilde was a graduate of Washington High School and later took courses at Rockford College and Roosevelt University. She was a strong advocate for education for everyone. She married the love of her life, Harold Nikoley on Oct. 16, 1948, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in South Bend and continued to be a devoted member throughout her life. She worked at Bendix as a legal secretary early in her career and then became a job counselor for Indiana and Illinois State Employment Service. After retiring she was volunteer at St. Anthony's Hospital and spent many happy years living in Melbourne, Florida. Hilde was a loving wife and mother who enjoyed making family dinners and was famously known for her blueberry pies. She enjoyed reading, playing crossword puzzles, scramble and watching classic movies. You could always find her cheering her favorite sports teams, the Chicago Cubs and Notre Dame Fighting Irish. She is survived by her children, Carol (Mike) Beach, of LaPorte, IN, and Judy (Tim) Early, of Shingleton, MI, four grandsons, Ron and Mason Beach, Joe and Colin Early, four great- grandchildren, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Harold and siblings, Emma Braun and Paul Tamke. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Monday, August 8, 2016, at Welsheimer Family Funeral Home North, 17033 Cleveland Road, with Rev. Karl Brenner officiating. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery. Friends may visit with the family one hour prior to the service on Monday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hospice at Home, 4025 Health Park Lane, St. Joseph, MI, 49085 or Rockford Lutheran High School, 3111 N. Alpine Road, Rockford, IL, 61114. Family and friends may leave e-mail condolences at www.welsheimer.com

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