Allan S. Mickelson left us to be with the love of his life early in the morning on February 13,

2024.

Al was born September 11, 1938, in Whiteside County, Illinois. He was raised on a farm, 1 of 6

children, sisters Donna, Lyla, Pam, and Denise, a brother, Gerald. His family also included

Clarence Flack and a special cousin, Bert Shaw. His parents, Ethyl (née Shaw) and Louis

Mickelson, along with his brother Gerald, sister Lyla, sister Donna, and his beloved wife, Nancy

Bridges-Mickelson, preceded Al in death.

Al attended a one-room school house near Fulton, Illinois until the 6th grade. He graduated

from Fulton Community High School and then attended and graduated from the University of

Illinois with a degree in Forestry.

He went to work for the State of Illinois, Department of Conservation, out of college as an

entry-level forester and worked his way to Chief of the Division of Forestry. He retired from

state employment in 1991 with more than 35 years of service to the State of Illinois.

Allan married “the love of his life”, Nancy Bridges, in 1991. He retired just a few days after they

tied the knot. They moved to Golconda in 1993 to live out their lives and enjoy “God’s

Country”. The two of them bought and rehabbed the Gullett House, an old boarding house in

Golconda, with trees growing up thru the floor, saving it from ruin. As the story went from

Mildred McCormick, the house had served as a boarding house for local workers where all

sorts of men were served dinner on long tables on the back porch. The house had a pecan

tree in the back yard that Al was sure was the largest in the State. They then purchased a

building to house a gift shop. It turned out that the building had been the old German

Methodist Church. The Old Church House Gift Shop was owned and operated by Nancy and

Al for several years. It is now the annex to the Golconda Methodist Church. In 2002, they

bought property north of Golconda and moved there in 2004 when Nancy was diagnosed with

breast cancer. Al and Nancy lived the life they wanted during the next decade on their hill.

Al has 3 adult children, Scott Mickelson, Stacy Mickelson-Green, and Brett Mickelson. He also

has a number of grandchildren, including Amanda Green-Garfias, and step grandchildren. He

also has had several very close friends that he loved and adopted as family.

He was active locally and served for a number of years on the library board and the Pope

County Senior Citizens Board. He was one of the founders of M.A.S.H. 62938, a local

organization dedicated to helping local cancer victims.

Al did not want a service. He is being cremated and ashes scattered with some of Nancy’s in

their favorite places.

In lieu of flowers, please donate in memory of Al to the Pope County Senior Citizens,