Eleanor Nickles

Eleanor Hemstreet Nickles died on March 14, 2026 in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Eleanor was born on March 22, 1937 in Augusta, Georgia and raised there by her parents, Addie Sue Weltch Hemstreet and Albert Delano Hemstreet. She was the third of three girls and spent her childhood in Augusta, a place that held her heart always. 

Eleanor’s family valued education and she thrived in its pursuit. She attended Wellesley College for two years then transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating in 1959 with a degree in Russian History. She then pursued her master’s degree in Russian Studies at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, graduating in 1962. In Madison, Eleanor met William “Bill” Clark Nickles, and they married in September 1960. While Bill finished his master’s degree, Eleanor taught Russian history at Lakeland College in Sheboygan. Then, while Bill finished his Ph.D. at North Dakota State University, Eleanor taught at a high school in Fargo. In 1966, Bill and Eleanor moved to St. Cloud, Minnesota where they lived until 1991. In St. Cloud, Eleanor began the loving task of raising her two children, William “Clark” Nickles, Jr. (born in 1966) and Annabel Susan Nickles (born in 1968). 

Eleanor was a wonderful and involved mother and, like her parents, valued education and encouraged curiosity. She took Clark and Annabel on numerous trips within the United States and overseas. And at least several times a year, she took them to Augusta to visit family and be part of the community she loved. Once her children were grown, Eleanor – always the student – earned her accounting degree, passing the CPA exam the first time she took it. She also became a docent at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Eleanor was a talented seamstress, knitter, crocheter, quilter, cook, pianist, an avid reader (usually non-fiction history books and biographies), and a deep believer in justice and equality. She exuded kindness and decency and treated everyone she encountered with both. 

Despite spending her entire adult life in the mid-west, she never lost her gentle Augusta accent. Eleanor was deeply grieved when Annabel died in 2019, a loss she helped Bill and Clark weather. 

Eleanor is survived by her beloved son, Clark, her sister, Martha Hemstreet Carmichael, her cousins Panny Weltch Force, Jane Weltch Milligan, and Ernest Pund, along with many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents, her husband, Bill, her daughter, Annabel, and her sister, Susan Hemstreet Franke. The family is especially grateful for the devotion of Kathy and Vic Klis, Deb Rhody, the staff at Friendship Village, and Ecumen Hospice. 

Donations can be made to the Minneapolis Institute of Art or Ecumen Hospice (www.ecumen.org/hospice).

 A graveside service will be held at Westover Memorial Park, 2601 Wheeler Road, Augusta, Georgia, on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at 11:00 AM. The family will receive guests at the service. 

Arrangements are in the care of Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Road, Augusta, Georgia, 30907 (706-364-8484). Please sign the guestbook at www.thomaspoteet.com.