Alma Helen Penner Nikkel passed away May 2 at the age of 96 in Shafter, California. She was born April 14, 1921, in Herbert, Saskatchewan, the daughter of John Cornelius Penner and Susan Thiessen Penner. She was preceded in death by her husband Edward Carl Nikkel and her son, James Allen Nikkel. She is survived by one brother, Arthur Penner of Shafter, California, two sons, Donald Nikkel and Robert Nikkel, two daughters-in-law, Carol Enns and Gina Firman Nikkel; and 4 grandchildren, Christopher Nikkel, Jessica Nikkel Thorson, Meredith Nikkel, and Lucas Nikkel, their spouses and eight great grandchildren. Alma moved with her family from Canada to the Central Valley of California in 1924 where she grew up in the Wasco-Shafter agricultural area of Kern County. She attended Maple School and graduated from Wasco High School in 1939 and married Edward Nikkel in 1941. She spent most of World War II in Salt Lake City, Utah where Edward was stationed at the Army Air Force Base in Kerns. She added to her already strong appreciation of choir music by attending services where the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was performing. Her first son, James, was born in Salt Lake City in 1943, and the small family returned to Shafter at the end of the war in 1945. They again began attending the Shafter Mennonite Church and she resumed singing as an alto in the church choir and taking increasing roles in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School activities. She gave birth to 2 more sons, Robert and Donald in 1947 and 1949. Alma and Ed provided many opportunities for their sons to participate in school, sports and music activities. There were also trips to the Central California coast, Salt Lake City, the Grand Canyon and more Major League Baseball games in Los Angeles once the Dodgers moved there--far more games than she probably really enjoyed attending but she was always a devoted supporter for these healthy activities for her family. As her children grew older, she and Ed purchased a vacation home in Cambria where many family activities provided good memories of relaxing times on the beach looking for sand dollars and precious stones. She also spent many years in leadership roles in the Richland School District and Kern County as well. She served as President of the local Parent Teachers Association as well as the county chapter. In the church, she and Ed were longtime leaders of the Sunday School and Youth Fellowship Group and she became a beloved adult figure for virtually all the young people in the church. She also worked for many years in the Richland School Library, endearing her to even more children in the Shafter community in that role. Alma and Ed lived for many years in the family home on Calloway Street and then on Justin Court where they hosted many Penner family gatherings and numerous smaller meeting times with the Penner cousins and their own grandchildren. Later on, they moved to Carrington Manor, where Alma spent the remaining years of her life surrounded by many friends from her own growing up days. She will be missed by all her family members and the numerous youth and friends who knew of her devotion to caring for their needs as they grew up in the Shafter community. A graveside service will be held at Shafter Memorial Park on Wednesday, May 10, 2017 beginning at 10am. A memorial service will follow at Shafter Mennonite Brethren Church beginning at 11am.