Schell Hickel

I met Schell and Hal when I was a kid in Shawnee, Colorado. Honestly, I don’t remember the year. I’m guessing he was about five years older than me. Shawnee was an extremely small town, and I remember being mad at my dad for moving us there from Evergreen because it seemed like there was nothing to do.

My aunt gave us a really nice trampoline one year, and looking out the window into our yard I saw two boys jumping on it. I went out and said, “What are you guys doing?” Schell looked at me, and being bigger than me, he sized me up and said authoritatively, “We’re jumping on your trampoline.” I remember thinking, okay — and then we just ended up chatting and jumping with them. It seems like we had a lot of time together on that trampoline after that day.

He was trying out to be the starting quarterback for the high school, competing against Steve Wright. He was a good athlete, and I still remember he thought he had locked up the starting job — and then Steve, who was also a very good athlete, ended up getting it. I still remember seeing the disappointment in him when that happened. I felt it myself, because I had never had to do anything like that — to want something and not get it.

Another time, somehow I was down at the ranch, and I think Schell was competing in bull riding. His dad put the bull in the pen, and I remember Schell getting on. When the gate opened, it was like watching something out of a movie. The bull was bucking violently, and Schell rode him for the full time — I think eight seconds. Honestly, it was one of the most amazing athletic things I had ever seen. I knew definitively that I could never have done what he did.

Apart from those initial seconds of meeting him when he sort of flexed, I just remember he was always a nice guy who chatted with me like I was closer to his age. He had a charismatic smile, and he also had some humility. It seemed as if he treated me like I was older than I was, and I appreciated that.

I didn’t keep in great touch with him over the course of my life, but I did invite him to my wedding, because it was in Minnesota and I knew he was living there. I remember seeing him and thinking how much he looked like his dad — who everybody loved. We had a good time, and I’m thankful I had that short time to interact with him.

Like his dad and his brother, he was just a good guy.

Rest in peace, Schell.

Schell was an excellent father especially when the kids were young. So many adventures and misadventures!

Best day of my life marrying my best friend and favorite person in the universe. Wait for me with Fred and Ruby…

Our trip to Panama!

I will be posting many more photos of Schell but these 3 of him in 9th grade, 10th grade and 11th grade always make me smile!

Of course I have a lifetime of memories of Schell. There is no time in my life without him, until now. Here though is a particular memory that bubbles up often. It's a brief fragment, that for some reason it shines especially brightly in my memory.
Schell and I were oh, I don't know, maybe 11 and 14 years old? We were playing on the Ranch, and at that time Dad was keeping some horses in the area just next to the garden. Where the ground sloped upwards towards the hills, there was very long grass growing. We would hop on a horse at the top of that slope, and as it trotted down, slide off and fall into the tall grass. Over and over and over. For some reason it really tickled us, and we laughed and laughed. A warm afternoon sun, bugs in the air, river sounds nearby.

With his dad Dec 1981

Platte Canyon HS '80 Senior

1980 Graduation Day with Dad and Grandmother Martha.

In June 1979 Schell was Best Man for his father Steven as Susan, Kiersta and Nicole officially became family.

I knew Schell through MCAD. Although he never taught a class I was in he was a teacher you could always talk to. Weather it was hearing stories of his past or experimenting on different rigs and characters he was always easy to talk to and helpful. Wishing his friends and family he left behind all the best. Rest in Peace Schell you are missed.

I moved to Bailey, Colorado at the start of 8th grade. By then, I had already moved eight times before reaching 9th grade, so starting over in a new place was something I knew all too well. The first people I met there were Schell and Hal, and without question, meeting them became the best experience I ever had from any move.
As a junior high kid, being welcomed the way they welcomed me made a huge difference in my life at that time. They immediately made me feel included, accepted, and comfortable in a completely new environment. That kind of kindness stays with a person, especially during those difficult middle school years.

Their actions were a true testament to the character of Schell and Hal. They may not have realized it then, but the way they treated me had a lasting impact and helped turn what could have been another hard transition into one of the most meaningful experiences of my childhood.

Thanks for the memories Schell.