As there is no information on Nicky (spelled correctly) here are some memories. Nicky and I got married in July 1973. We had dated throughout high school. Nicky worked in banking while I was busy failing in business. We then set off on an adventure to be the youngest managers ever hired by Motel 6. Due to Nicky's amazing intelligence and my gift for B.S. we flourished in that job until I got us fired. After 6 years, Nicky had enough of my antics and moved on with her life. We had no children together. Nicky had a massive brain tumor that eventually was the cause of her death. She was in a nursing home in Canada, where I went to see her in 2011 (+/-). Her simple request to me was to take her home to Billings. One of my greatest regrets and failures in life was that I could not accomplish this request. Nicky was my first love and I cherish our memories together. Riley Cooke
Nicholette Bradley (Ulmer) February 14, 1955-December 28, 2015 Nicky was a close friend in high school, and we stayed in touch over the years. After graduation, she was married to her high school sweetheart, Riley Cooke, for several years. She later remarried, and had two sons, Matthew Stricker and Aaron Stricker. That marriage ended when the boys were in early elementary school and she was fighting brain cancer. She “fired” her first oncologist for giving her a guarded prognosis, and proceeded to achieve complete remission. She wore a bright pink Halloween wig during chemo and radiation to make the time more fun (ie, less scary) for her boys. Nicky married Don Ulmer around 2010, and moved to Grenfell, Saskatchewan. Unfortunately, late effects of her prior brain cancer treatment led to a series of strokes and she spent the last couple of years of her life in an assisted living facility in Grenfell. When we visited there, she kept her quick wit and positive outlook on life despite her challenges. Her spouse, Don, was killed in a motorcycle accident at Sturgis about a year prior to her death. No formal obituary was published when she died, but private family services were held in Billings. Nicky was a talented writer who wrote short stories and poetry throughout her life. She was a self-taught pianist. Those of you in Lincoln Junior High choir may remember singing Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In for an assembly—Nicky accompanied you for that number. Her memory of people and life events was stellar, and she peppered her conversations with pithy observations and sharp humor. She and Don enjoyed many miles on their Harley motorcycle trips, making the jaunt to Sturgis several times. While she lived at a distance from her sons for her last few years of life, they remained the most important topic of conversation at each of our encounters. She was a dear friend who met life’s adversities head-on. Nicky never stopped dreaming of new possibilities or offering a wry comment with a smile. Her light was gone much too soon.
Thank you Patti for providing more information and context about Nicky. As all of our lives have been moving ahead for the last 50 years, it has been wonderful to remember names and faces of classmates I have not thought about for a very long time and to get an incite into what they have been doing. It is very sobering to learn about classmates that are no longer with us and makes me very appreciative that I am able to count my blessings every day.
Riley Cooke
As there is no information on Nicky (spelled correctly) here are some memories. Nicky and I got married in July 1973. We had dated throughout high school. Nicky worked in banking while I was busy failing in business. We then set off on an adventure to be the youngest managers ever hired by Motel 6. Due to Nicky's amazing intelligence and my gift for B.S. we flourished in that job until I got us fired. After 6 years, Nicky had enough of my antics and moved on with her life. We had no children together. Nicky had a massive brain tumor that eventually was the cause of her death. She was in a nursing home in Canada, where I went to see her in 2011 (+/-). Her simple request to me was to take her home to Billings. One of my greatest regrets and failures in life was that I could not accomplish this request. Nicky was my first love and I cherish our memories together. Riley Cooke
Patti Martin (Iversen)
Nicholette Bradley (Ulmer)February 14, 1955-December 28, 2015
Nicky was a close friend in high school, and we stayed in touch over the years. After graduation, she was married to her high school sweetheart, Riley Cooke, for several years. She later remarried, and had two sons, Matthew Stricker and Aaron Stricker. That marriage ended when the boys were in early elementary school and she was fighting brain cancer. She “fired” her first oncologist for giving her a guarded prognosis, and proceeded to achieve complete remission. She wore a bright pink Halloween wig during chemo and radiation to make the time more fun (ie, less scary) for her boys. Nicky married Don Ulmer around 2010, and moved to Grenfell, Saskatchewan. Unfortunately, late effects of her prior brain cancer treatment led to a series of strokes and she spent the last couple of years of her life in an assisted living facility in Grenfell. When we visited there, she kept her quick wit and positive outlook on life despite her challenges. Her spouse, Don, was killed in a motorcycle accident at Sturgis about a year prior to her death. No formal obituary was published when she died, but private family services were held in Billings.
Nicky was a talented writer who wrote short stories and poetry throughout her life. She was a self-taught pianist. Those of you in Lincoln Junior High choir may remember singing Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In for an assembly—Nicky accompanied you for that number. Her memory of people and life events was stellar, and she peppered her conversations with pithy observations and sharp humor. She and Don enjoyed many miles on their Harley motorcycle trips, making the jaunt to Sturgis several times. While she lived at a distance from her sons for her last few years of life, they remained the most important topic of conversation at each of our encounters.
She was a dear friend who met life’s adversities head-on. Nicky never stopped dreaming of new possibilities or offering a wry comment with a smile. Her light was gone much too soon.
Patti Martin Iversen
Bill Eklund
Thank you Patti for providing more information and context about Nicky. As all of our lives have been moving ahead for the last 50 years, it has been wonderful to remember names and faces of classmates I have not thought about for a very long time and to get an incite into what they have been doing. It is very sobering to learn about classmates that are no longer with us and makes me very appreciative that I am able to count my blessings every day.