Nona Reichel

Nona Ione Reichel, age 94, a resident of Augelus Retirement Community, Green Bay, until a fall in April and subsequent hip surgery, died at a Green Bay nursing home, Sunday, June 12, 2005.

Born May 18, 1911 to Louis and Anna (Enns) Meyer in St. James, MN, she graduated from St. James High School in 1929 and then attended Mankato Commercial College. Nona was married to Aloysius (Allie) J. Reichel April 4, 1932 in Gaylord, MN. They spent their 65 years of marriage in Mankato. He died May 9, 1997. During her school years, Nona was nicknamed Sno for her white blonde hair. She later became the Cookie Lady with all the neighborhood children, and was Nanie to her beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Among the first members of Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Mankato when it was established in 1950, she remained active through the years in a variety of womens church groups. Her artistic skills were demonstrated on the beautifully painted and decorated cutout cookies she shared with family and friends at Christmastime. Getting a box of her cookies and bars was a special holiday treat. She also made sure there was always a homemade cake or dessert on hand to go with coffee when friends stopped by. Nona won many customer service awards during her 30-plus years in the shoe department at the S&L Department Store in Mankato.

She loved to dance and she and Allie went with their group of friends to Mankato Ballroom dances well into their 80s. She enjoyed craft projects and her well-kept albums of photographs and memorabilia are family treasures. She also liked gardening and loved the little creatures, the birds and rabbits, that inhabited her yard.

Nona is survived by her daughter, Dian Page of Green Bay, WI; grandchildren, Dr. Mitch (Linda) Page of Woodbury, MN, and Dana (Patrick) Quinlan of Houston, TX; great-grandchildren, Haley, Rachel, and Zachary Quinlan; a brother, Don (Betty) Meyer of Fremont, CA; a sister, Lois (Bruce) McAllister of Grand Haven, MI. Also surviving are three sisters-in-law, Geraldine Goodge and Mildred Bellig of Mankato, and Evangeline Kratz, of Palmdale, CA; a brother-in-law, Jack Reichel of Mankato; nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Allie; infant brother, Cleo, and son-in-law, David M. Page.

Funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Mankato with Rev. James H. Pragman officiating. Visitation will be held from 9:30 a.m., until the time of the service on Thursday. Entombment will be at Woodland Hills Memorial Park Mausoleum in Mankato. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established to Our Saviors Lutheran Church or the Salvation Army. Mankato Mortuary is assisting the family.