As Valentine's Day 2014 draws near, it is reported that Norman Nivens has started slowing down a bit. That is understandable since his family celebrated his 90th birthday, and Groundhog Day, Sunday, Feb. 2, at the Jamestown Community Center.
Norman and Nevelyn have observed many a Valentine's Day in the house in Jamestown they bought in 1960.
He had returned from World War II in 1946 after being on a tank destroyer in the Philippine Islands. He met Nevelyn Edwards at a volleyball game at Centertown High School. They hit it off and they were married Sept. 25, 1947.
Before settling in Jamestown, they lived in Centertown, Marion, Owensville and Boonville. They are almost surrounded by family. Their children are Ken and wife Linda, Jim and wife June, Gary and wife Kathy, Tom, Judy Inglish and husband Chuck, Carol Ford and husband Ray and Sara Loesing and husband Mark. Three live in Jamestown and the other four are close. The most distant lives in Columbia. One, Mary Kay, died at 14 months.
There are also 13 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
The family gets together for holidays and birthdays, the most recent, of course, being Norman"s 90th birthday. They are members of the Jamestown Methodist Church.
Although, it is true Nivens has slowed down, he still goes to work most days, although daughter Carol runs the office. He was convinced to halt the appliance repair business a few years ago, but according to Jim, "If someone asked him to dig a ditch, he'd probably get out and give it a try."
When they first hit Jamestown, Norman worked for Vic Witthaus in Centertown and Nevelyn kept busy with four boys and a girl. He started his own gas and appliance business in 1962, selling it 11 years later. By that time, there were three more daughters, and he had been the mayor of Jamestown for four years. Nevelyn had worked at Peoples Bank of Jamestown for several years.
In 1973, Nivens TV and Appliance business was up and running and Norman became an agent for Shelter Insurance.
His total tenure in office as Jamestown mayor was 26 years. He counts blacktopped streets, a water tower and natural gas as accomplishments. He also hunted and fished, and had trophies mounted for the office. The family also took trips to Las Vegas and Florida.
Since his birthday is on Groundhog Day, its a common question from his family of whether he saw his shadow. This year, he probably is predicting six more weeks of winter.