Melvene Nickles

Melvene M. (Tysdal) Nickles, 96, of Clarion, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 21, 2026 surrounded by the love of her family at Sunny View Care Center in Ankeny.

Memorial services will be held at 10:30 AM on Wednesday, June 3, 2026 at Clarion First Methodist Church, 201 3rd Avenue North East in Clarion, with Pastor Craig Luttrell. Burial will take place at Evergreen Cemetery in Clarion.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 – 7:00 PM on Tuesday, June 2, 2026 at Ewing Funeral Home, 1801 Central Avenue East in Clarion.

Her faith never wavered, and she stepped into eternity ready to meet Jesus.

Born on December 29, 1929, in her parents’ farmhouse outside of Galt, Iowa, Melvene was the eldest daughter of Melvin Ordean Tysdal and Harriet Gertrude (Poolman) Tysdal. She grew up alongside her siblings: Robert Dean, Bonnie Anne, and Jeanne Elaine.

Melvene’s desire to serve others became clear early on. After graduating from Clarion High School in 1948, she felt called to pursue a life of care and compassion. Though her father hoped she would become a secretary, her mother lovingly encouraged her to follow her own dream. With that blessing, Melvene began nurses’ training at Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines in the fall of 1948, was capped in 1949, and proudly graduated in 1951. Her nursing career later led her to become Director of Public Health for Wright County in 1986, where she worked tirelessly to expand county health services until her retirement in 1990. Her dedication and advocacy left a lasting mark on the community she cared so deeply for.

Melvene married her first husband, Marshall Lowry, in 1950. Years later, she found the great love of her life when she married Blaine Nickles in 1966. Together they shared 44 years of marriage, filled with joy, adventure, and laughter. A devoted mother and grandmother, Melvene’s joy was found in her family. One of those joyous moments occurred upon her marriage to Blaine when Melvene’s newly acquired daughter Renee, who had recently lost her mom, asked, “Will you be my Mommy?”

She is lovingly remembered by her children Mark (Deb) Lowry, Renee Von Hagen, Mitchell Nickles, and Mickey (Steve) Edwards; her grandchildren Angela Billington, Scott (Liz) Von Hagen, Cale (Kelsey) Edwards, Gaige Mosher, Tess (Ryan) Pickens, and Lakota Nickles; and her great-grandchildren Quentin Billington, Piper and Lucy Von Hagen, Tate and Kellan Edwards, Vera Mosher, Mac Pickens, and Elijah Augsburger; as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends.

A lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church in Clarion, Iowa, Melvene lived out her faith through action, serving, supporting, and caring for others. She was the kind of person who made sure everyone felt important, especially her grandchildren, whom she never missed a chance to cheer on. Melvene could often be found attending countless sporting events, debate competitions, beauty pageants, graduations, and weddings, or simply staying up late to watch a grandchild’s favorite show, like Star Trek. Whether the moment was grand or quiet, she embraced it with warmth, pride, and a love that made everyone around her feel cherished.

Her family fondly remembers the quirks that made her uniquely Melvene, like spelling out curse words instead of saying them, laughing together about the decades-old items she kept in her deep freeze because she firmly believed nothing could ever expire if it was frozen, and the sweet tradition of adding a “P.S.” to the end of the family prayer at holidays.

She is welcomed into Heaven by her beloved husband Blaine, her parents, her brother Robert, and her daughter Marlene, who were surely as eager to greet her as she was them. She leaves behind generations shaped by her kindness, strength, and devotion.

P.S. In loving honor of Melvene, we close with her favorite sign-off, one last P.S. that will always remain in our hearts: We love you a bushel and a peck, and a hug around the neck.