Nikki Dee Mason passed away on Thursday, May 14, 2026 at the age of 74. Nikki was born in Crawford, Nebraska on August 11, 1951 to Lyal and Dorla (Rodysill) Nickel. She was raised on a farm north of St. Paul, Nebraska and graduated from St. Paul High in 1969. She attended Kearney State College before moving to Denver, Colorado where she worked for the Federal Reserve Bank. In 1973, Nikki moved to Long Beach, California and with the exception of living in Fort Collins, Colorado and New Orleans, Louisiana for short periods of time, she spent the rest of her 20s and most of her 30s in California. She worked as a data entry operator in Long Beach, at a flower bulb ranch in Santa Cruz, as the hostess for a French restaurant in Ben Lomond, was self-employed in Willits and eventually returned to Long Beach where she worked as a data entry operator and later as a legal secretary. Nikki returned to St. Paul in 1987 to help her dad take care of her mom. Shortly after her mom passed away, Nikki met the love of her life, or as she often said her gift from God, Randall Scott Mason.

Randy and Nikki were married on July 7, 1990 at the Methodist Church in Pawnee City, Nebraska. For the first 10 years of their marriage, they rented a house known as the old Sapp place south of Pawnee City. During this time, Nikki was the office manager for C. J. Foods. In 1998, Randy and Nikki bought 60 acres of grassland and timber north of Pawnee City. In 2000, she went back to school at Peru State College to hone her computer skills. That same year, they moved a trailer onto their property and started to carve out their home place, building a pole shed, putting up fences and planting trees.

In 2006, they moved a ‘Randy- designed’ Summerfield house onto the land. Nikki worked for Morrissey & Dalluge in Tecumseh before being hired as a utility secretary for the City of Tecumseh, working there for 13 years. She retired from the work force in December of 2015 and thoroughly enjoyed retirement. Randy and Nikki did a bit of traveling, visiting many national parks. They loved the desert southwest and gravitated toward the Colorado River areas. In February of 2015, they spent two weeks on the Big Island of Hawaii, and were lucky enough to book a last-minute helicopter tour of the entire island. In 2019, they traveled north to Glacier National Park and drove the ‘Going to the Sun’ road, before heading to Yellowstone. Their last trip was in 2022 to the Mason Family Reunion in Twin Falls, Idaho followed by a stay in Cody, Wyoming. Nikki was an avid reader, a movie buff, absolutely loved music, enjoyed watching, feeding and listening to birds, a pretty good cook and a self-proclaimed great wife to Randy.

Nikki is survived by husband Randy, sister Kay Robbins, nieces, Imee & husband Justin Groves, Bree Robbins, Mya Robbins, brothers-in-law and sister-in-law, Chris & Renae Mason and Tim Mason and special friend Diane, nieces and nephews, Shelby & Daryle Petrzilka, Abby & Heath Hovendick, Amber & Jared Stutzman, Brooke & Dan Barr, Cassidy & Brittain Timms, Connor and Caylee Mason, several great nieces, great nephews, cousins and many friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents Lyal & Dorla Nickel, parents-in-law, Dale & Ima Gene Mason and brother Matt Nickel.

Nikki’s wishes were to be cremated, with her ashes either scattered in the Loup River or buried at a later date.

A Celebration of Life Gathering will be held from 1-3 p.m., Sunday, June 7, 2026 at the Tecumseh Firehall, 1110 Buffalo Drive, Tecumseh, Nebraska. Memorials may go to the family’s choice.

Online condolences may be left @ www.wherrymortuary. com.