2005 Year in Review

Elizabeth Nice named "Oldest Living Morrison Resident"

Elizabeth Nice at her 104th Birthday Party.

Elizabeth with son-in-law Don Dyke and Irene.

Grandson John Dyke and Penny

Mayor Roger Drey and wife Sue visited Elizabeth on her 104 Birthday.

Elizabeth and Carl during Morrison Centennial

Elizabeth Nice, a resident of Resthave Nursing Home has been named the oldest living resident of Morrison. Elizabeth turned 104 on Dec. 6, 2004. Elizabeth has been a resident at Resthave since April of 1994. She looks forward to visitors and enjoys listening to the church services and programs that are presented at Resthave.

Grandma Nice as we call her has become my family’s adopted grandmother and great-grandmother since my mother Irene married Elizabeth’s son-in-law Don Dyke in 1993. To look at her you would never believe she is 104. When asked how she stays so young looking, her answer was, “I didn’t know I did.” She doesn’t hear or see well, but her mind is so sharp it is amazing. She always asks, “How are the girls?” and “Does Katie still have her goat?” She is always glad to hear about the kids and what we are doing on the farm. She can recall names and information so quickly.

A very sweet, loving lady, Elizabeth was born Dec. 6, 1900. Her parents were Jacob and Grace (Renkes) Bruins. They were both born in Holland. Her father came to the U.S. when he was 18 years old. Her mother came to the U.S. when she was three. After they married, Jacob and Grace farmed in the Unionville area. Elizabeth said when they bought their first car her dad was driving it and as he went around a corner a little too fast he said, “Whoa! Whoa!” As Elizabeth laughed about this she said, “He was used to driving horses not a car.”

“When we got gas lights that hung on the side of the wall, we really thought we had something,” Elizabeth stated recalling her days of growing up. “We made our own butter and that was good butter. We would get the cream from the milk of the cows. We kept it cold with water from the pump. We traded eggs for groceries. The grocer would always give us a bag of candy for paying the bill. It was wonderful to have candy in those days. My mother would give us one piece a day. That was a big treat for us.” The stove her family used was a wood burner with a reservoir on the side, which heated water for baths. She and her siblings would also play games of "Andy-I-Over".

She laughed when grandson John reminded her of a story about an old rooster. “He used to always chase me. One day he chased me into the outhouse and he fell in the hole.”

The Bruins children all had their jobs or chores to do each day. When nighttime came the family spent time reading by kerosene lamps.

Six children made up the Bruin’s family: Grace who was married to Guy Andrews; John; Fannie who was married to Dick E. Bush; Tom; Elizabeth; and Mabel who was married to Corneal Hook.

Elizabeth was baptized on April 14, 1901.

Elizabeth started school in Unionville. When she was 10 years old, her family moved to Morrison and she attended the Northside School. She is a 1918 graduate of Morrison High School. After finishing high school she attended Brown’s Business College in Sterling. She then began working as a secretary for the Alwood and Steele Company, which was a bottling company in Sterling. “They canned olives by hand,” Elizabeth said. After she met Carl she worked in the Refrigerator Plant with Carl.

Elizabeth married Carl Nice on Jan. 5, 1921, in her parents’ home at 607 North Orange Street. The couple was married by Rev. Jean Vis. Attending them were Elizabeth’s sister Grace and her husband, Guy Andrews. Grace made Elizabeth’s wedding dress for her. Following their marriage they moved to Morrison and lived on West Wall Street. After her mother died in 1938, they lived with her father. He passed away five years later and the following year the Nice’s moved to 406 North Base Street.

Carl Nice worked for the Summit Stove Company in Morrison. Later he was an Industrial Engineer for the Ice Cooling Appliance Company until it was taken over by Herman Nelson. He then worked in the Cost Department until he retired in 1964.

He was the mayor of Morrison from 1935-1945. He was elected to the County Board of Supervisors in 1952 and continued on the board for 20 years. Carl passed away in 1984. They had been married for 63 years.

Elizabeth and Carl were the parents of one daughter, Carlene who passed away in September of 1991. Carlene was married to Donald Dyke, of Morrison.

During Elizabeth’s active years she was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, and she was an election judge for 20 years. She enjoyed sewing and made many of her own clothes. She and Carl enjoyed traveling together.

Elizabeth family also includes one grandson, John Dyke and his wife Penny and great-grandson Justin. She also has two great-grandchildren Darin Dyke. A grandson James Dyke passed away in November of 2002.

She became a communicant member of the Ebenezer Reformed Church on March 15, 1937. She was a charter member of Lydian, a member of the Ladies’ Aid and was a quilter for many years. She was also a member of AARP.

Though Grandma Nice will not be present during the Sesquicentennial Parade she will be honored as Morrison's Oldest Living Resident."

by Dawn Zuidema, theCity1.com
July 7, 2005