On any given morning in Chowchilla, you were likely to see Nis Nissen fooling around with his metal detector, scouting out old coins. Or out on his ranch on 152, feeding his mules. Or walking downtown picking up litter along Robertson Blvd. But no longer. Sadly, Nis died of a motor vehicle accident on Saturday April 16, 2022 on Highway 99. He was 73 years old.

Nis was born on October 25, 1948 in Santa Monica, California to Irene (Perry) Nissen and Svenning "Buster" Nissen. Summers and holidays in his boyhood were spent with his mother's grandparents in Chowchilla (Mattie and Albert Perry), with many adventures at the slough and canals hanging out with his sister Nancy and cousins Valarie Perry, Connie Eatmon, Tommy Thompson, and Judy Perry.

Nis always loved animals and the outdoors. One summer in high school, Nis spied a hawk's nest under the ledge of the Chowchilla Lake dam and had Valarie and Connie hold his ankles to lower him down so he could steal an egg from the nest. He raised that hawk to adulthood in the backyard of the family home in Manhattan Beach where traffic often slowed down to see the house with the red-tailed hawk perched in the yard.

Nis was raised mostly in southern California, graduating from Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach in 1966. In 1968 he joined the Navy and was stationed on a repair ship, the U.S.S. Tutuila, docked off the shores of Vietnam. He served as a dental technician and wore a hat with a ring of pulled teeth around it so the people knew when he came ashore to their village that he was the one to come to if they had a toothache.

During his final year in the Navy he learned that a placement in Alaska would meet his last requirement for sea duty, so he put in for a transfer to Kodiak, AK. There he stayed on for several years, serving as a civilian medic at the Air Force Satellite Tracking station. Among many adventures, he got his first Kodiak bear there (the big one that greeted visitors at the door when they entered his house). He also found and fostered a baby seal in his bathtub, naming it "Butter" because of all the butter he had to melt into the milk for it to have enough fat to stay healthy until the Seattle Zoo could arrange for transport.

After the Navy, Nis settled in Chowchilla where he had bought his first house. He worked as a real estate agent for several years with Century 21 and in the 1970's became a broker in his own right and opened Old West Realty with Madelyn Baker. Some years after that, Madelyn sold her half the business to Nis and he relocated it to the old Rexall Drug Store downtown where it has remained ever since as a solid landmark at Robertson and 3rd.

Nis always loved odd objects from the past. His house was filled with relics he'd come across with his metal detector, or while hunting. He may be best remembered for riding his mules with a refurbished buckboard wagon in the Chowchilla parade every year.

Nis was an avid huntsman, traveling in the Sierras, Montana, the Dakotas, Mexico, Canada, and even Europe on various hunting or fishing expeditions. He often went on trips with his mules to the back country. Many a relative remembers such rites of passage as learning to shoot a gun, cleaning a fish, or going pig hunting with Nis.

Nis was definitely the pied piper of the family. Whenever he suggested hopping in the truck to run even the smallest errand, children and grownups alike wanted to go because Nis was where the fun was. And often a little mischief.

A favorite story about Nis was when he was a teenager and collected 2 gunny sacks of frogs which he let go in the narrow side yard of their Manhattan Beach home. He had heard they were good for a lawn so thought he would help. His mother, Irene, stepped out of the door from the kitchen to take out the trash and discovered a sea of moving frogs in her path. She couldn't take a step without crunching them. She hopped back into the house and jumped on the portable dishwasher yelling for Nis to come catch all those frogs. (Fun as he was, you can imagine that Nis was not the easiest child to raise!)

In his middle age, Nis discovered that his father's father had been a Mason in Denmark. Nis studied and applied and became very active with the local lodge of the Masons. He loved the community and the ritual, and frequently commented that being a Mason helped him to be the best man he could be. And a fine and generous man he was. Many a neighbor or relative has been the recipient of Nis' generosity. If you had a problem, big or small, he was the first one to jump up and offer a helping hand. Whether it was money, work or someone to talk to, Nis was always there to offer his support. When the Chowchilla lodge closed, Nis went on to join the Elks.

In his later years, when he needed work done on the ranch or his properties, he would often hire teenagers on the condition that they save 70% of the money he paid them. He'd go with them to the bank and set up their savings account. And then when he'd pay them, they'd go to the bank together to deposit the money.

On April 16, Nis was on Highway 99 coming home from Madera. It was raining so fiercely, the wipers could not keep up, even at high speed. Nis was in the slow lane when the SUV in front of him started to lose control. He looked to his left and met the gaze of a woman and her daughter driving beside him. According to the woman, he realized he couldn't swerve left so had to swerve to the right to miss the SUV. It was there that he rolled off into the muddy embankment and his truck flipped. He was thrown from the vehicle and died instantly. No one else was hurt.

Nis is survived by his older brother James Perry Woolley of Sunnyvale, CA and a younger sister, Nancy Nissen, of Redondo Beach, CA. Also, by his nieces, Natasha (Woolley) Beauchamp, Rebecca (Woolley) Lea; and a nephew Christopher Woolley. He had a great nephew and two great nieces (Edan, Christina, and Jacqui) and even a great great niece (Brenna). In Denmark he has two first cousins (Inger Weber, and Henrik Nissen with his wife Lis) and their families (Claus and Vibeke Weber with children Kathrine, Mia and Soren; and Miachael and Peter Nissen). Nis also leaves behind many, many Perry cousins all over the United States.

Nis Nissen was a one of a kind original: "Mr. Chowchilla" as he was sometimes called. He will be deeply missed by all.

A Celebration of Life for Nis is planned for Wednesday, June 1st, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. at the Chowchilla Portuguese Hall, located at 800 S. 3rd, Chowchilla. Please dress comfortable casual.

For those who are unable to attend in person, the service will also be zoomed.  This is the link you will click on for the service.

Topic: Nissen Memorial
Time: Jun 1, 2022 02:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83733832950?pwd=SE1zSWcxZURpQ0JRRnYySnp4Z2RGUT09

Meeting ID: 837 3383 2950
Passcode: Nissen