Ivan Edward Nuxoll completed a yearlong battle with cancer on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, at the age of 84.
He was born in Greencreek on July 9, 1936, to Albert and Hildegarde (Stolz) Nuxoll. He graduated from Greencreek High School in 1954 and later served in the U.S. Army, stationed in Germany.
Returning home, he worked on the family farm and at Jordan Motor Co., where he met the love of his life, Dina Shelburne. She came in to get her battery charged and ended up marrying the parts man (who ended up buying the battery). They met in late September and were married Jan. 2, 1972.
In 1975, they settled into their new house on the homestead and welcomed their first child, Eric, followed three years later by Ivan’s little lady, Ellen. The homestead earned Century Farm status in 1995, and Ivan continued farming until his retirement in 1998. Besides the farm in Idaho, Ivan worked tirelessly to manage their land in Oregon, part of the farm on which Dina grew up. By his estimation, he planted about 15,000 trees, determined to leave his descendants a better land.
Ivan was active in a variety of community, school and church activities throughout his life, from structured organizations like the parish council and Idaho County Fair Marshall to projects of his own, like delivering candy bars to Greencreek area children in a “reverse Halloween.”
Ivan never met a stranger. He loved long visits and telling stories, preferably with hot coffee and a cookie. A devoted husband, father, grandfather and uncle, he will be missed sorely by all his family and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers, Gerald, Giles and Roderick. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Dina; children, Eric (Kim) and Ellen (Mike) Crabtree; grandchildren, Sebastian, Ambrose, Augustin and Cecilia Nuxoll and Nora and Luke Crabtree; sister, Nadine (John) Fuchs; and wonderful nieces, nephews and grandnieces and nephews.
Ivan’s funeral mass will be Friday, March 5 at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Greencreek. It will begin with a rosary at 10 a.m. and Mass at 10:30 a.m., followed by burial and a lunch celebrating Ivan’s life at the Greencreek Community Hall. The Mass also will be recorded and posted on the Tri Parish Catholic Churches Facebook page. Arrangements are under the direction of the Blackmer Funeral Home of Grangeville. Send condolences to the family to blackmerfuneralhome.com.
In lieu of flowers, the family recommends memorials be offered to the St. Anthony’s Society in Greencreek or Prairie School District in Cottonwood.
