Rebecca Catherine Nickles Obituary (1952 - 2010)

Rebecca Catherine "Becky" Nickles, 57, of Owaneco died at 1:50 am Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at Heritage Manor Nursing Home, Pana. She was born December 15, 1952 in Taylorville, the daughter of Johnie E. and Helen Marcella Klinefelter Nickles. She was name after her grandmothers, Rebecca Porter and Katherine Fleming Klinefelter. She was raised on the family farm south of Taylorville, attended Center Grade School, and was a 1971 graduate of Taylorville High School. She attended Millikin University, majoring in mathematics and graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1975. She later completed her Master of Business Administration at Eastern Illinois University in 1984. Becky started her career as a design engineer at Baughman-Oster in Taylorville, then a project engineer at Superior Manufacturing in Mattoon. She taught at Information Systems at Eastern Illinois University and was a Technical Planning Manager for Consolidated Market Response in Charleston and a software Manager for Sky Alland in Maryland. Becky returned to the Taylorville area to live on the family farm and most recently to work at MAI in Taylorville. Becky's passion was her animals: cattle, dogs, cats, and a rabbit. She was a proud Christian County 4-H alumni and volunteer. She was affiliated with the First Presbyterian Church in Taylorville, a member of the church's bell choir, and a past member of the Harmony musical group in the Taylorville area. She was known as "Auntie Em" and "Aunt Gabby" to Matthew Heberling, Amy Heberling, Garnet Jelley Tucker and Hannah Jelley. She was preceded in death by her parents, Uncles: Kenneth Klinefelter, Clarence Nickles, Andy Nickles, and Moody Nickles, and Aunts: Elizabeth Klinefelter Hibbetts, Elvie Nickles Licklider, Myril Nickles Call, and Lorean Nickles Myers. She is survived by her livestock and pets. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am Saturday, November 13 at McClure Funeral Home with Pastor Bob Spurgin officiating. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery, Greenwood Township. Visitation will be held from 9:00 am until time of services in the funeral home on Saturday. Memorials may be made to: Christian County 4-H Foundation, or the Christian County Animal Shelter.