Nancy Hinkel

Stoughton
Nancy Roberta (Goley) Hinkel, child of God, departed with peace and grace from this world on Wednesday, February 6, 2019. Nancy was born on June 29, 1936, the second of six children born to Robert and Fausta (Gangloff) Goley in Harvey, Illinois. As a young adult, she lived in Harvey while obtaining her nursing diploma from the St. Margaret School of Nursing in Hammond, Indiana and working at Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey. It was during that time she met and married the love of her life, David Edward Hinkel of Dubuque, Iowa. The couple later relocated to Spring Valley, Illinois and Milwaukee before purchasing their permanent family home in the Town of Dunn outside of McFarland. After many years as a full-time homemaker for their five children, Nancy returned to a successful career in nursing and management. She retired in 2002 from Meriter Hospital where she worked in the cardiovascular surgery unit. Dave and Nancy shared a happy retirement in their home until Dave's passing in 2008.

Nancy's passion in life was serving the greater good and she worked tirelessly to help others heal as a nurse, mother, sister and friend. Her life story is saturated with examples of compassionate service to others for which she never sought credit or acclaim and yet for which so many are grateful. Nancy's joy in life was finding and sharing with her family the beauty in everyday life. In her later years, she could often be found in pursuit of the simplest of things like collecting fall leaves and pine cones, drives to look at roadside wildflowers and stops for a good hamburger. Her folksy way of conducting herself and her self-deprecating humor often cloaked her intensely sharp wit, strong will and world-class intelligence. Because of this, getting to know Nancy was to discover something rare and beautiful. It was truly a delight to be fortunate enough to know her and be in the presence of her incredible light.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Dave, sister Ellen Goley, and brother David Goley. She is survived by sisters Margot (Ed) Paasch of Rockford, IL, Carol (Burt) Logan of Crown Point, IN and brother Robert Goley, Jr. of Blue, AZ. She is survived by her children, David Edward Hinkel Jr., Michael Francis (Carolyn) Hinkel, Lisa Marie (Micheal) McCulloch, Susan Roberta (Christopher) Cook, and Sara Lynn (Kerri Lehman) Hinkel. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Jessica Dargenio, Erica Mulder, Cassandra Schwartz, Erin McCulloch, Tony Hinkel, Allison Hinkel, Ellen Cook and Ava Cook, as well as her seven great-grandchildren.

Nancy's family would like to express their most sincere gratitude to all of the doctors, nurses, staff and volunteers at Meriter Hospital for their support and care during Mom's last few weeks.

In accordance with Nancy's wishes, she will be remembered during evening Mass taking place at St. Ann's Catholic Church in Stoughton on Saturday, February 16th. In addition, a formal burial service and joyful celebration of Nancy's beautiful life is being planned for her birthday, June 29th, 2019 at the Town of Dunn Burying Ground.

Death had not entered the room -
Or, so we'd thought -
But already she'd been tiptoeing
Down the hallway
And crept so quietly beneath the door
We did not hear her enter.
Yet so she did
And gently eased our mother
From this world to the next
In even breaths and softening sighs
And then a peace
That only she can know.

Cress Funeral Home
1310 Emerald Terrace
Sun Prairie, WI
608-837-9054