Obituary for Helen J. "Nickie" McCarrell
Helen Jean Nicholas McCarrell, “Nickie” to family and friends, 97, of Lancaster, PA, formerly of Colts Neck, NJ, died at home on November 18th, 2020.
Born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in 1922, Helen was a daughter of the late Harry and Gladys (MacLeod) Nicholas.
Helen attended Oak Park High School in Chicago and then Wheaton College, where she met her husband, James G. McCarrell. When James took a job as a chemist at Bell Laboratories, the couple moved to Colts Neck, NJ. There they raised their family and were active members of Lincroft Bible Church. Over the years, Jim and Helen’s home provided hospitality to numerous friends, relatives, and church guests — Helen’s Sunday dinners were not to be missed. In addition to cooking and making sure everyone around her was well fed, Helen took enjoyment in sewing, reading, and traveling—Moosehead Lake in Maine and the Jersey shore were two of her favorite spots.
Helen was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Margaret Rigsby, her husband, and her son, Peter Allen McCarrell. She is survived by three daughters: Mary Jo McCarrell of Lancaster, Beth Ann Petroff, wife of David, of Clarksburg, NJ, and Jeanne Marie Jackson, wife of David, of Lancaster; and eight grandchildren: Hannah, Emily, Nicholas, Grace, Margaret, William, Charlotte, and Peter.
Always someone who took care of those around her and thought little of herself, Helen was cared for in her later years by her daughters and grandchildren, each of whom counts it a joy to have spent this season with her. Already sorely missed, she will be remembered for her matter-of-fact, cheerful disposition, her wry sense of humor, and most of all, her uncomplaining spirit.
Funeral services will be held for family only on Saturday, November 21st at the Groff-High-Eckenroth Funeral Home, 145 W. Main St., New Holland PA 17557 officiated by Pastor Doug Bozung of Christian Fellowship Church, where Helen attended. Interment will take place privately in Darien, IL. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Pacific Garden Mission (pgm.org; 1458 South Canal St., Chicago, IL 60607) or to The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry (foi.org).
Born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in 1922, Helen was a daughter of the late Harry and Gladys (MacLeod) Nicholas.
Helen attended Oak Park High School in Chicago and then Wheaton College, where she met her husband, James G. McCarrell. When James took a job as a chemist at Bell Laboratories, the couple moved to Colts Neck, NJ. There they raised their family and were active members of Lincroft Bible Church. Over the years, Jim and Helen’s home provided hospitality to numerous friends, relatives, and church guests — Helen’s Sunday dinners were not to be missed. In addition to cooking and making sure everyone around her was well fed, Helen took enjoyment in sewing, reading, and traveling—Moosehead Lake in Maine and the Jersey shore were two of her favorite spots.
Helen was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Margaret Rigsby, her husband, and her son, Peter Allen McCarrell. She is survived by three daughters: Mary Jo McCarrell of Lancaster, Beth Ann Petroff, wife of David, of Clarksburg, NJ, and Jeanne Marie Jackson, wife of David, of Lancaster; and eight grandchildren: Hannah, Emily, Nicholas, Grace, Margaret, William, Charlotte, and Peter.
Always someone who took care of those around her and thought little of herself, Helen was cared for in her later years by her daughters and grandchildren, each of whom counts it a joy to have spent this season with her. Already sorely missed, she will be remembered for her matter-of-fact, cheerful disposition, her wry sense of humor, and most of all, her uncomplaining spirit.
Funeral services will be held for family only on Saturday, November 21st at the Groff-High-Eckenroth Funeral Home, 145 W. Main St., New Holland PA 17557 officiated by Pastor Doug Bozung of Christian Fellowship Church, where Helen attended. Interment will take place privately in Darien, IL. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Pacific Garden Mission (pgm.org; 1458 South Canal St., Chicago, IL 60607) or to The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry (foi.org).