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Michelle Nicewanger's (fellow classmate) father
Gail L. Nicewanger, 74, of Fort Dodge, died Saturday, June 5, 1999, at his home from complications of lung cancer.
Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m. Tuesday at the First United Methodist Church with the Revs. Tompsie K. Smith and Scot Patrick officiating. Burial will be in the Chapel of Peace Mausoleum, North Lawn Cemetery. Visitation is from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Bruce's Funeral Home.
Survivors include his wife Betty Jean; daughter Michele R. Kelly, Cedar Rapids; sons Jay D. Nicewanger, both of Kansas City, Mo; four grandchildren; four step-grandchildren; and sister Lanis Hanson, Burnsville, Minn. He was preceded in death by is parents Neal and Laura Lyons Nicewanger.
Gail L. Nicewanger was born June 5, 1925, in Climbing Hill where he was raised and educated, graduating from Climbing Hill High School. In 1952, he graduated from Wayne State College with a bachelors degree. In 1961, he received his masters degree from Emporia State University. Emporia Kansas. In 1952, he married Betty Jean Hansen in Laurel, Nebraska. They lived in Fort Dodge for the past 39 years. He was a retired speech and drama teacher with the Fort Dodge Public School District. Since his retirement, he continued to direct and judge speech and drama activities throughout the state until his final illness.
He was a member of the First United Methodist Church and the Iowa High School Speech Association, where he was an inductee into the Hall of Fame. He was also the director of Hawkeye Community Theater from 1965 to the time of his death. He was a lifetime member of the National Education Association, the Alpha Psi Omega National Honorary Dramatic Fraternity and Sigma Tau Delta Fraternity. He also was a longtime volunteer at the Lord's Cupboard in Fort Dodge.
Memorials may be left to the discretion of the family.
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Suzanne Knupp (Sawyer)
I didn't realize Mr. Nicewanger was involved in the Hawkeye Community Theater as a director for so many years ! I'm sure he was the director when I attended plays in the Red Barn and the White Barn ! Those were the years where I grew to love watching live theater !
Now, I rarely miss a production and can not imagine the passion and dedication those performers and directors have when they pull off yet another production! One of the most memorable productions was at the White Barn and involved a man from my church who was one of the nicest and most pleasant people. He played a grouchy. ol, drunk man in the play and I was so amazed that he could "act" so unlike he was. It really opened my mind to the power of PRETEND and the training that he must have been given along with his natural talent. I think that is the production that made me a life-long lover of Hawkeye productions !
I'm sure Mr. Nicewanger was the director of that production so many years ago ! What a gift to share with others!