Information about this family branch comes from Sharon Ford, a decendant of Sarah Cordelia Rien, and a long-time Nickel, Bollen, and Rien family researcher.

From a 15 May 2004 email:

I have been researching the Nickel and collateral lines for 23+ years, but have not been able to locate any living descendants of Sarah (Nickel) (Rien) (Bollen). Sarah was first married in PA to ___ Rien, and by him had sons John W and Samuel Rien. She remarried in the late 1830s in OH to Robert W Bollen and by him had a son Thomas, and a daughter Sarah. They divorced in 1854 and in the late 1850s, she and her children by Robert Bollen moved with her sons Samuel & John Rien to Sonoma County.

From her 20 May 2004 email:

My immigrant ancestor, Samuel Nickel, is every researchers worst nightmare!!! He was born in Derry Co in IRE in the 1770s. No records! He immigrated to the US between 1795-1799 [before the US officially began keeping records (1820)]. I've checked all kinds of miscellaneous ships manifests. No records! He married a woman born in Philadelphia [PA didn't start officially keeping marriage records until the 1880s]. No records!...

So far, I have information on 5 of the 8 children, and am in touch with researchers/cousins of 4 of the children. Sarah (Nickel) (Rien) Bollen is one of the children with whom I have not found any other researcher. Although I have the marriage and divorce information regarding her 2nd husband, Robert Bollen, I have never been able to find the given name of the Rien person she first married in PA in the late 1820s. No records. I have been able to determine that Robt. Bollen was a real flake! He was 10 yrs younger than she. From records I have found, it appears he married a woman, alone with 2 children who was also the daughter & sister of fairly large landowners. He saw the other family members as a place for money to finance his various schemes. He ended up being sued by my ancestor and another Nickel brother [James] and others in Dade Co., because he defaulted on numerous loans. Bollen went into partnership with his brother-in-law James Nickel and another man in some sort of California venture. While James was away, Bollen and the other man absconded with the company funds. James Nickel sued Bollen, but the case was eventually dismissed, as James died on a trip between MO and CA. As a result of the lawsuits brought on by my ancestors and others in the county, the sheriff finally confiscated the Bollen property and it was put on the auction block.

The Nickels appeared to be a very tight Scots Irish family and they took care of their own. There was no way that they would have allowed Sarah and her 4 children to lose their home. My ancestor, and possibly her father, gave her the money, as she was the highest bidder, and ended up not losing her home. Shortly after that she filed for divorce.... About 4-5 years later Sarah and her 2 younger children migrated with her 2 oldest sons [Samuel & John Rien] to Sonoma.

Anyway, I have lots of blanks in these Rien/Bollen lines so am hoping to connect with others researching these lines. ...

FAREWELL MOTHER

SARAH BOLLEN

DIED

June 2, 1878

She is gone to the land -- here the ----- my

Enjoy the sweet rapture of sacred repose

She has quitted forever this wilderness deary

And bid farewell to time and its woes

ERECTED BY HER DAUGHTER