Eleanor "Nell" Wickham was the daughter of James Wickham and his first wife Mary Lacy, the fourth of their five children. Her father had another 14 children with his third wife Bridget Keating, five of which died young. Nell was for many years an important member of the family contracting business. She did not marry.
Related Items:
Biography of her father James and uncle Owen P. Wickham.
Articles on the death of her brother, Edward A. and obituary for brother Bernard P.
Obituaries for her grandparents, Patrick and Cecelia (Pryor) Wickham.
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Council Bluffs Nonpareil (Council Bluffs, Iowa)
Thursday, 21 November, 1946, p. 1
Eleanor Wickham
Dies at Home
Long Illness Fatal to Business Woman
Eleanor A. Wickham, about 76, 525 Third street, secretary-treasurer of the E. A. Wickham company and a member of a pioneer western Iowa contracting family, died at 11:45 a. m. at her home here Wednesday.
Miss Wickham had been in ill health for two years following a fall that fractured her hip.
A rugged individual, "Nell" Wickham had managed jointly with her brother, B. P., the Wickham interests in recent years.
She handled the office affairs of the construction company and was the "last word" in problems arising out of the management of the Wickham building at Broadway and Scott street.
Her father, James Wickham, started the contracting business in Council Bluffs under the name of Hughes and Wickham Brothers. Later the firm name was changed to James and O. P. Wickham and eventually became known as E. A. Wickham and company.
Native of City.
A native of Council Bluffs, she graduated from St. Francis high school, later taught at the Washington Avenue school, homesteaded on a tract of land near Gregory, S. D., which she owned at the time of her death, and stepped into the construction office management jobs many years ago.
"Her word was always listened to," one attorney who dealt with the Wickham interests, said Wednesday, "and she was always on solid ground. She is probably as well known as any contractor in the middlewest."
In addition to her brother, with whom she lived, she is survived by five half sisters, Mrs. E. J. Murphy 1 of Minneapolis, Mrs. C. W. McCauley,2 Mrs. John A. Green,3 Mrs. G. W. Schaaf 4 and Mrs. George Erwin,5 all of Council Bluffs, and nephews and nieces.
The Beem-Belford funeral home is in charge.
1 Anna M. "Annie", wife of Edward Joseph Murphy.
2 Mary Veronica, wife of Charles A. McCauley, who worked for a telephone company.
3 Honorah R. "Nora", wife of John A Green, a quarry manager.
4 Bernadette F., wife of George W. Schaaf.
5 Loretta W., wife of George A. Erwin.
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Council Bluffs Nonpareil (Council Bluffs, Iowa)
Thursday, 21 November 1946, p. 9
Obituaries . . .
Wickham Rites
Set for Saturday
High requiem mass will be celebrated for Eleanor A. Wickham, 80, 525 Third street at 10 a. m. Saturday in St. Francis church with the Msgr. James P. Danahey officiating. Burial will be in St. Joseph's cemetery.
Miss Wickham, secretary-treasurer of the E. A. Wickham company and a member of a pioneer western Iowa contracting family, died Wednesday at her home following an illness of two years, which was a result of a fall that fractured her hip.
She is survived by one brother and five half-sisters.
The Beem-Belford funeral home is in charge.
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Omaha World Herald (Omaha, Nebraska)
Thursday, 21 November 1946
Funeral Services Set for Saturday for Miss Eleanor A. Wickham
-Council Bluffs.
Services will be held Saturday for Miss Eleanor A. (Nell) Wickham, 80, Council Bluffs pioneer who died Wednesday at her home, 525 Third Street.
The body will lie in state at the Beem-Bedford Funeral Home until the hour of the service, 10 a. m. Msgr. James P. Danahey will officiate at high requiem mass. Burial will be at St. Joseph's Cemetery.
She had been in ill health since she was injured in a fall about two years ago. The fall fractured her hip, and she was in a local hopsital for nearly one year.
Miss Wickham for many years was secretary-treasurer of the E. A. Wickham Construction Company. She handled its office and real estate affairs and made many of the decisions concerning the management of the Wickham Building, Broadyway and Scott Street.
Often Drew Blueprints
Construction men were familiar with Nell. She often drew blueprints for the company and made bids on many of the jobs received by the firm. Often, building and paving officials would say "she knows more about construction than most men."
Did Much Building
The Wickham Company built many Bluffs buildings. In World War I, the firm built Army camps.
Miss Wickham, who jointly handled firm interests along with her older brother, B. P. Wickham, 86, was on the board of directors of the State Savings Bank.
She and her brother had lived for nearly 30 years in the mansion on Third Street, known as the Wickham Place. Mr. Wickham indicated Wednesday that he will continue to live in the home.
In addition to her brother, she is survived by five half-sisters. They are Mrs. C. W. McCauley, Mrs. J. A. Green, Mrs. G. W. Schaaf, Mrs. George Erwin, all of Council Bluffs; Mrs. E. J. Murphy, Minneapolis, Minn.
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Council Bluffs Nonpareil (Council Bluffs, Iowa)
Saturday, 23 November 1946, p. 3
400 Present at
Wickham Rites
Four hundred persons attended the funeral services for Eleanor A. Wickham, 80, 525 Third street, secretary-treasurer of the E. A. Wickham company, Saturday at 10 a. m. in St. Francis Catholic church.
Solemn requiem high mass was celebrated by the Rev. Vincent McCauley, Holy Cross seminary of Washington, D. C. The Rev. Mr. McCauley is a nephew of Miss Wickham.1 The deacon was the Rev. William Coughlan, pastor of the Holy Family church and sub-deacon was the Rev. Ernest Stallbaumer, OSB, pastor of the St. Peters church. Master of ceremonies was the Rev. P. N. Schmidt, assistant pastor at St. Francis church.
The sermon was given by Msgr. James P. Danahey.
Present in the sanctuary were Msgr. J. F. Costello and Msgr. Danahey.
Ushers were T. M. Delaney and James C. Jenson.
Altar boys were grand nephews of Miss Wickham and pallbearers were her nephews, Bernard Wickham,2 Eddie Wickham,3 Ray Wickham,4 James Millett,5 Dr. Robert McCauley 6 and Ray McDermott.
Burial was in St. Joseph's cemetery.
Beem-Belford funeral home was in charge.
1 Vincent McCauley, born about 1905, was the son of Nell's half-sister Mary Veronica, wife of Charles A. McCauley.
2 Bernard J. Wickham, born 1909, the son of her older brother Edward A. and his wife Mary C. Farrell. He died almost exactly one year later of heart failure.
3 Probably Edward J. Wickham, born 1905, son of her younger half-brother James P. and his wife Mary Thome.
4 Raymond J. Wickham was born 1904, the older brother of Edward J. (above).
5 James was born 1908, the only child of Nell's older sister Katherine M. and her husband Thomas Millett.
6 Robert McCauley, born about 1910, was the younger brother of Vincent (see no. 1).
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Council Bluffs Nonpareil (Council Bluffs, Iowa)
Saturday, 23 November 1946, p. 4
Miss Eleanor Wickham
The death of Miss Eleanor Wickham this week, has removed from the ranks of Council Bluffs business women an outstanding member.
Miss Wickham was not content to be an office girl, she undoubtedly was one of the most important cogs in the machinery of the Wickham contracting firm for many years.
Anyone who came in contact with her at the office of the firm learned in short order that she knew her business and knew it well.
Contractors knew her for an able member of the firm and those with whom the firm did business quickly learned that Miss Wickham's word was good, that she occupied a position not inferior to that of any of the men of the firm.
We know that the firm will miss her. We believe that the town will miss her too.
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