Joe Nihen always loved to learn.

Growing up, his parents Rose and Joseph Nihen, instilled in him the importance of education, which he took with him and made into a lifelong career.Following college graduation, Nihen and his wife, Marie, settled in Lansford and have called the town home ever since.He taught grade school at St. Ann's School, and later Our Lady of the Valley and Our Lady of the Angels, for 40 years, retiring in 2009.In his retirement, Nihen continues to learn and now dedicates his time to the dead, cataloging the cemeteries of St. Cyril's and St. Michael's, as well as researching Civil War veterans.When not immersed in the past, Nihen enjoys being with his wife, their children and grandchildren.