Madeleine "Smokey" Jeanne Nielsen

life story

Beloved mother, nana, friend, and educator

Madeleine "Smokey" Nielsen (Wyckoff) was born on October 6, 1944, in Winfield, Kansas to Ken and Dorothy (Child) Wyckoff. She grew up in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, the second of four siblings.

When Smokey was a child, her father worked for the railroad, and she would jump at the chance to ride the train with him whenever she could! Her grandma Ruth used to take her and her siblings out to the family farm in Maynard, Minnesota. They would help milk the cows, jump off the tall tractor tires, and have all kinds of fun together. Grandma Ruth also took them to Chicago on the train. As they walked through the city, Grandma Ruth stealthily dropped nickels and dimes for Smokey and her siblings to find. They were so excited about each new treasure – they just couldn’t believe their good fortune! These exciting early experiences perhaps sparked Smokey's love of travel later in life.

Smokey graduated from Columbia Heights High School in 1962 and then attended Augsburg University, graduating in 1966 with a degree in education. She earned her Master’s degree in education from St. Mary’s University in 2000.

Smokey was a loving and supportive mother to Christopher and Jennifer. She was at every choir concert, every cross country meet, every violin lesson, every school conference. Her hugs were abundant. She was a fierce advocate for her kids. She encouraged Chris and Jen to walk in love, trust in their abilities, and pursue their dreams ... so long as their socks matched!

Smokey also played the role of "second mom" to many of Jennifer's friends during and after her college years, feeding them, offering advice and support, and even taking them in for months at a time.

Smokey was a special nana to her grandchildren, Piper and Torin, and she took great joy in her role. For several years she cared for them while their parents were working, spending the days playing and going on special outings to the zoo, museums, shopping, and parks. She hosted many sleepovers, complete with making play-doh, playing with her fancy dolls, collecting acorns for the squirrels, perusing the American Girl Doll catalog, playing with trains, and doing puzzle after puzzle. She loved to tell them stories from her days of teaching, and about the time she was crowned Miss Columbia Heights.

Smokey was a woman who knew what she liked. She liked cats. She liked Paris. She liked chocolate and she liked purple (and she looked gorgeous in it!). She liked flamingos. She liked shopping. She liked to travel, and she liked hotels (but camping was out!).

Smokey had a heart for young children and took great joy in helping them develop early skills and a love of learning. She taught preschool and kindergarten, and was a beloved teacher in the Apple Valley/Rosemount/Eagan school district Early Childhood Family Education program for many years until her retirement in 2010.

Smokey forged many close friendships throughout all facets of her life, from her neighborhood, to her church, and her work. She continued to make friends easily over the past few years, enjoying dinner, coffee, and many hours chatting with her fellow residents at the Glenn in Hopkins and Havenwood of Minnetonka.

Smokey was fortunate to enjoy many adventures with good friends over the years. Their earliest outings were simple walks through the neighborhood with their young children in tow. But she and her friends later traveled to more far-flung destinations, like riding a barge and biking through Holland to see the tulips, going on an Alaskan cruise, and of course, spending lots of time on the North Shore.

Smokey is survived and greatly missed by her children Christopher (and Kirstin) of Medicine Lake, MN and Jennifer of Bloomington, MN, grandchildren Piper and Torin, siblings Shelley, Julienne, and Vincent, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents. She will be forever in our hearts.

memorial service

Memorial Service

June 16, 2022

Christus Victor Lutheran Church 7510 Palomino Dr, Apple Valley, MN 55124, USA

Visitation will occur one hour prior to service. 2:00 service will be followed by a light reception.

Service will be livestreamed on the facebook page of Christus Victor Luther Church https://www.facebook.com/ChristusVictorChurch