Bio of Walter B. Nichols - Coffee/Pike Co.'s, AL ----------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with the USGenWeb policy of providing free information on the Internet, this data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other gain. Copying of the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged. ALGenWeb File Manager - Carolyn Golowka ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Contributed by: Mary Ann Nichols DEC 1999 Bio of Walter B. Nichols - Coffee/Pike Co.'s, AL NICHOLS Walter Baston Nichols was born April 24, 1882, and was the son of William Henry H. Nichols and Sarah Baston. Walter was the grandson of William E. Nichols (b 1810 SC) and Elizabeth Hanchey (b October 14, 1814 NC), and of John William Baston and Martha Downs. William E. Nichols was the brother of Kinchen E. Nichols of Pike County, and the uncle of Joel Nichols, of Crenshaw County. William E. and Elizabeth and children are found in the 1850 Coffee County, Alabama census, as were Elizabeth's parents, Daniel and Sarah Rice Hanchey. Children listed in the 1850 census were: Robert, Mahala M., Elijah, Wm. Henry H., John A., Margaret D., Joel, and Thomas Francis Ciscero. There may have been older children, Daniel and Wesley, and an earlier Sarah, who died young. Later, Charlotta and Sarah A. M. were born. William E. Nichols and family apparently did not live long in Coffee County, and also lived in Conecuh, Pike, and Covington Counties. After the Civil War, much of the family even moved to Texas, Arizona, and Florida. Henry died in Troy, Pike County, when Walter was only one year old. Henry left two children by his second wife, Sarah Baston. They were Henrieta Eugenia "Genie" Nichols, born August 13, 1879 and Walter Baston Nichols. Genie married Israel Yohn on August 17, 1894 in Pike County. By Henry's first marriage to Elizabeth Stern, he left a daughter Netie Ann Nichols, who was born October 9, 1864, and married a Mr. Brown prior to her father's death. One child by his first wife died young and two by his second wife died young. Sarah soon remarried to John Hanson on September 12, 1884 in Pike County, and had two children. One, John Oscar Wilborn Hanson, born March 31, 1887, lived to adulthood. Walter was the only child to return to and settle in Coffee County. Walter married Claudia Lee Wilson, daughter of Joseph William Perry Wilson and Sara Jane Tew. Walter and Claudia Wilson Nichols raised six children: three boys (Shelly Lamar; Wilson Ray; and Walter Wallace) and three girls (Willie Mae; Elma Eugenia "Gene"; and Sara Lee). There were many times that there were hard problems to solve but some how they were worked out. Walter was a successful farmer. He raised cotton corn, peanuts, and hogs --along with feed for the hogs, cows and mules. His first love was his hogs. He had registered Poland China hogs. Many were champions and prize hogs. He was known as "Hog Nichols" He built a new house for his family's home in 1917 and sold enough hogs during the time it was being built to pay for it. But soon after building the new hone cholera hit his herd and he lost the entire herd. But this did not make him loose his desire to raise hogs; even though he was never able to get back into registered hogs again. The only cows on the farmer were three milk cows, which were needed to supply milk for the family. Not having a chance to go to school when a child, he was anxious for his children to at least finish high school. He studied with them as they went up in school and was real good in math. To supplement what was made on the farm and send the children to school in the city schools, he got work in the fall and winter working in a cotton warehouse. This was before school buses and he had to provide a car for school transportation. Not only was he a hard worker to provide for his family's needs, he took time to enjoy hobbies (mostly fishing and bird hunting). He also took lots of time with young people. He was a Sunday School teacher and often took them on camping and picnics. He was a good cook out camper. Since he was raised an orphan, he had a very special feeling for children without parents. For many years he went to the Baptist Children's Home in Troy, Alabama and brought children home for a vacation on the farm. One year he got 22 boys and kept them two weeks (boys 12 to 15 years old), After their visit, he took them back and got 22 more for another two week vacation. To feed that many boys, it took lots of biscuits and lots of peas; the old wood cook stove never got cold for the four weeks they were there! Walter was a member of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, a deacon of the church, and lead the song services during the preaching hour. He supported all the activities of the church and saw that all his children grew up and were taking part in all the training the church offered, He was a trustee of the school and did much work in the school system to improve the school in the community. He was a great Christian, a good father and son-in-law, a good neighbor and citizen. Walter died May 11, 1934 at the age of 52 with cancer. He is buried at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church. His wife, Claudia died September 13, 1961 with a stroke, while visiting a daughter in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. She is also buried at Mount Pleasant. Sources: Federal Censuses Family Bible Old letters Recollections