Maurine Nickel

A funeral service for Maurine Mitchell Nickel, 91, will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2201 Airline Drive, Bossier City, Louisiana. Visitation will be held from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service. Burial will follow the service at Rose-Neath Cemetery, 5185 Swan Lake Spur, Bossier City, Louisiana. Officiating the service will be Minister Tom Moore. Maurine was born on January 25, 1931, in Patmos, Arkansas to Marvin E. Mitchell and Nannie Valentine Mitchell, and passed away on May 25, 2022, in Benton, Louisiana surrounded in love by both of her daughters. While in middle school, her family moved to the 'big city of Shreveport, where she graduated from C.E. Byrd High School. After graduation, she attended Norton's Business School and subsequently worked for several companies including the W.T. Grant Company, Texas Eastern Transmission, International Life Insurance, Burton Realty, and spent many years working for the Bossier Parish School Board as a school bus driver. Oh, how we have loved our mother, grandmother, and friend! How can one sum up that red-headed, bass-fishing woman's life in just a few paragraphs? The impact she had on our lives could fill a book. Maurine, 'Meme as she was fondly known by many had such a special gift for making everyone she met feel as if she had known them for years. In a handwritten note she left tucked away in her dresser drawer She wrote, 'I love people and enjoy being with them. We have been fortunate to have many wonderful friends. This is such a great blessing. She was genuinely so thankful for each person in her life. When she saw you, everyone within earshot knew how excited she was to see you. Even when she could not remember your name anymore or hear the words you were saying, she still knew YOU and was so proud to call you a friend. Maurine beat cancer three times and even in death remains a survivor. Her eternal optimism through each of her treatments was nothing short of inspiring. Throughout her life, the only thing greater than her undying optimism was her faith. As a matter of fact, her faith is what gave her the reason to live her life so full of love. She was a member of the Church of Christ since she was 15 years old, and never faltered in her commitment to God. She prayed fervently and studied daily. Her Bible was always open and sitting out on her dining table with an empty cup of coffee sitting next to it. She loved her Lord and started each and every day the only way that she knew was right - with Him. Married 64 years, she and Lawrence were quite the pair. Together, they were master entertainers - hosting endless rounds of card games and fish fry for friends, family, and coworkers. As much as we try, we will never be able to recreate the epic Christmas Eve celebrations or Thanksgiving dinners we had with our Meme and Granddaddy. She absolutely loved being with her family and spent much of her adult life finding ways to keep everyone together. Early on, she and Lawrence purchased a lake property at Toledo Bend, and over time, they worked to transform the overgrown lot into a place that their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren could enjoy together. So many memories were made there. Several years later, she and her son-in-law, Tom, found the property in Benton where she, her children, and her grandchildren have lived for the last 25 years. What a gift it was as a grandchild to be able to walk to Meme's house any time we wanted. Maurine is preceded in death by her parents; husband Lawrence Nickel, whom she has missed so very much since his passing; and sister, Margaret Clawson. Her memory will continue to be cherished by her two daughters, Cindy Schwartz and husband, George, Karen Moore and husband, Tom; grandchildren, Larry Schwartz, Jill Pace and husband, Grady, Holly Schreiber and husband, Derek, Hillary Moss and husband, Colby, and Kelsey Moore will continue to be blessed by the unconditional love she had for them; great-grandchildren, Chloe Pace, Landon Pace, Birdie Schreiber, and Maclane Moss will all look back one day and feel so lucky that they were able to know a great-grandparent the way they knew Meme. For all of her extended family and friends, rest assured that we have copies of her cherry cheesecake, butterscotch brownie, and coconut cream pie recipes and are happy to share. Honoring Maurine as pallbearers will be George Schwartz, Landon Pace, Grady Pace, and Derek Schreiber Maurine's family would like to thank the staff at Old Brownlee Community Care for taking special care of Meme, and especially for the support and love received on the day of her passing. Even more thanks to her doctor, Dr. Attila Balogh for being so incredibly attentive and compassionate through her time in his care. And most importantly, we are so deeply grateful to her dear friend Gwen Arendell. Words cannot express what your friendship with her and care for her meant to us. Maurine was an example that you can never love too much, you can never be too kind or give too many hugs. She did not have an easy life. There were many hard days, but she made the decision to be a light nonetheless and will always be remembered as a light to everyone she knew.