MY BIOGRAPHY
                                       AND
                                  MY LIFES STORY
                           (by Sarah Thiessen Nikkel)


    I was born in the year 1887 on January the eleventh (11) near a little town
called Waldeck in Marion Co. Kansas on a farm.  This little town was not far from
Lehigh, Kansas.

	My parents names were Peter and Katharina [Schmidt] Thiessen.  We lived on a
farm and in the year of 1893 my parents, with a group of neighbors, moved to
Cooper [probably Blaine County], Oklahoma [ceased to exist in early 1900's]and in
1894 my father homesteaded a farm near Fairview [Major Co.], Oklahoma.

	Here I received my grammar school education up to the fifth grade in a school
built of sod (that is layers of broken sod).  When I was 13 years of age I
received the Lord Jesus in my heart.  I based my covenant with my Lord on Isaiah 54,
v. 10, "For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed; but my kindness
shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed,
saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee".

	In May of 1901 at the age of 14, I was baptized by the Rev. Jacob Rheimer,
who was the minister at that time, and received in the M. B. Church of North
Goffningerfeld [Nord-Hoffnungsfeld], Fairview [Major Co.], Oklahoma.

    The year of 1901 was a very sad one in my life for it was in June of 1901
when my mother left my father and my father demanded that I should stay with him
'till harvest time was over.

	Then he left for Russia to bring back a widow with 6 children.

    In fall I went to live with my [half] brother, John Classen.  Then, the
following spring I, with my mother and my three brothers, moved to Caddo Co.,
Oklahoma where my [half] brother, D.J. Classen and his wife had homesteaded a
farm.

    From there I was sent to McPherson College [McPherson, McPherson Co., KS] in
the German Department of Prof. John F. Duerksen, in September of 1902.  This
school was a part of a Dunkard [Tunker - German Baptists] school which also was a
Christian school.  The Bible was the main textbook although we also took German
grammar or "Sprekleform" [Plattduetsch: Sproaklea], church history, Homiletics,
and others.  Also, I studied music under J. J. Frantz.  This school had a
wonderful blessed effect in the student body, for out of that small group of
students where went forth a number of missionaries, ministers and teachers. The
Lord really blessed this school.

    I attended McPherson the following fall and winter season.  Here is where my
husband, Frank [Franz] H. Nikkel met me in the year of 1902.  Then I came home.
I stayed with Mother till I took up work in a store where I worked for 9 months.
This was at Fairview [Major Co.], Oklahoma where my [half] brother, John W.
Classen and my brother-in-law, Isaak Neufeld were the owners of that store.

    In spring of 1905 I taught german school at Homestead [Blaine Co.], Oklahoma.
Also a couple of months at Pretty Prairie [Reno Co.], Kansas.  Prior to that I
stayed at Corn [Washita Co.], Oklahoma near my future parents-in-law, to teach
school.  Then in the summer of 1905 I was with my Momma in the Caddo Co.,
Oklahoma and from there my fiance came and took me to his parents home and on the
14th of September we were married by the Rev. Abram Richert, in Corn [Washita Co.],
Oklahoma.

    Then, right after our wedding we left for Inman [McPherson Co.], Kansas where
my husband taught inglesheschool [English School???] for 5 months.  After this
school closed we went to Pretty Prairie [Reno, Co.], Kansas.  Here again, my
husband taught german school.

    We then went back to Washita Co., Oklahoma.  We bought us a little home in
Weatherford [Custer Co.], Oklahoma.  Later we took up farming with his parents.
Then, in 1917 in February we moved to Lubbock [Lubbock Co.], Texas.  We had five
children born in Oklahoma; Viola, Rosella, Esther, Albert and Selma.  We farmed
in Texas three years and in Texas, daughter Emma was born.

    Then in the winter of 1919 we moved to Rosedale [Kern Co.], California.  Here
we lived till December 1937.  And it was here where 5 more children were born to
us; Edwin, Ruth, Wesley, Paul and Donald.  In 1922 it pleased the Lord to take
two of our children to be with him in glory. Edwin died December 26th, 1922 and
our little baby, Ruthie, died March the 22nd, 1922.  She was born on January 19th
and died the 22nd of March.  But we could say the Lord had given and He hath
taken, blessed be the name of the Lord.

    Then in 1937 we moved to Ferndale [Whatcom Co.], Washington.  Here my husband
had to undergo a severe operation on a double rupture.  Then when his health was
so bad, we came back to California.  We then settled down at Shafter [Kern Co.].
After renting for a couple of years we bought our own home in Shafter [Kern Co.].
Here we moved in 1942.  We did some pioneering visitation work among the migrants
around Shafter till again my husbands health failed and the Lord took him home to
be with Him forever in 1947.

    Then in 1950 I sold that home and came to Bakersfield [Kern Co.].  At first
in October 1950 I went to Oregon and stayed there for 6 months.  Then in April of
1951 I came back to Bakersfield [Kern Co.], California.  I stayed with my children
for a couple of years until I got my money from my Shafter [Kern Co.] home and
then, together with my children, Dale & Emma Hickerson, we bought a home.  Here I
lived for nine years.  From there on I rented a small house where I live alone at
this writing on September 18th, 1961.