NICKlE VOGET

The mortal trailhead for this amazing woman’s earthly sojourn began on March 19, 1922 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when her mother, Roselma Phippeny and her father, Robert Niclas welcomed her to the world. Before her first birthday her life’s trail took her to San Luis Obispo, California, where she would claim the right to be a “California Girl” for the rest of her life. A lifelong avid hiker and mountain climber mom’s determination and resolution to traverse life’s challenges allowed her to see vistas only a few imagine.

Her educational hike included graduating from high school as America entered the Second World War. Mom wanted to serve her country as a nurse, so she moved to Los Angeles where she graduated from Good Samaritan Hospital’s Nursing School as a RN. She served as a nurse in the Naval Cadet program. While serving as a floor nurse she met a few of her fellow lifelong hiking companions; among who became her future mother in law, Erna Mae Hatcher. After meeting Erna Mae’s son, John Robert, the two hikers merged their two paths and were married, having three children. Roberta Elaine Boyce (Charlie), John William Inderrieden (Louise), and James Richard Inderrieden (deceased). From these three children mom’s hiking companions grew toll grandchildren, 20 great grandchildren, and 6 great, great grandchildren. Unfortunately, after sixteen years of traveling the same path mom and dad chose different trails and divorced. Mom continued to love the high country; climbing and searching for summits and vistas less traveled. She loved climbing “her” California Mountains. Though only 5′ 2″ (in her prime) she climbed Yosemite’s Half Dome Mountain, Cathedral Mountain, and Mount Hoffman, and the Sierra’s Mount Whitney … to name a few.

Mom loved learning, and returned to academia to receive her Public Health Nurse Degree from UCLA. She worked for the Los Angeles Unified Education System for 23 years. Shortly before retiring she met Herman Voget, who persuaded her to become his hiking companion and together they hiked life’s paths until his death in 2010.

Mom’s health became fragile and the thin air of the lofty mountain ridges became memories of ambitious ascents she no longer could make. As the strength in mom’s legs diminished and her days of ascending the mountains she loved so much became a fond memory mom moved from Simi Valley, California to Legacy Village in Layton, Utah at the age of 89. Though weakened by age, and her body assaulted by illness and the breaking of a hip at 92, mom’s enthusiasm for hiking continued. However, the rocky ridges and the forging of mountain streams she relished .. dipping her toes in became walking the halls of Legacy Village using her walker. She quickly became known as the leader of the pack of elderly woman (she affectionately called “Her babes”) as together they walked the hallways and byways of Legacy Village to participate in the center’s
many activities.

Hiking enthusiasts extol the prospect of feasting one’s eyes on the wonderment of the top of the world as seen from rocky peaks; and our mom agreed with this sentiment. However, as her health failed she found, and treasured, a more meaningful vista to admire and appreciate. During mom’s last mortal ascent to reclaim her health she realized her once nimble footed ability had slowed and her days of climbing earthly peaks were gone, so she turned her remaining energy to finding new vistas.
It was during this time she discovered of all the world’s amazing sights she had seen, the most spectacular was not the view from a distant mountaintop, but in the eyes of her family. Fortunately mom came to understand the eternal truth that God’s gift of nature was given to help each of us appreciate His greatest creation, “mankind.” Mom grew to appreciate this truth as she made her final traverse of life’s by-way. On November 10,2014 mom gave her final kindly smile as she began her hike at the trailhead of eternity … A celebration of her life will be held at Legacy Village of Layton (1205 N. Fairfield Road) on Saturday November 15, 2014 at 2:00pm