Beckham County, OK - Obits: Matilda Anne Nichols, 1925
Tuesday, 09 Sep 2008
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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NICHOLS, MATILDA ANNE
(22 May 1925, Elk City Newspaper, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
DEATH OF MRS. A. R. NICHOLS.
Matilda Anne Benson was born June 18th, 1855, in Page county, Iowa, and
died in Elk City, Okla., May 14th, 1925, aged 69 years, 10 months and 24
days.
Funeral services were held in the First M. E. Church in Elk City on
Saturday morning at 10 o'clock.  The church was beautifully decorated with
many cut flowers in baskets, vases, etc., while the casket was covered
with beautiful lilies and other lovely flowers while many floral offerings
were banked around the casket, showing the love and respect in which Mrs.
Nichols and family were held by friends and relatives.
Her daughter Mrs. Cunningham, being one of the High School teachers here,
the choir was composed of Prof. Steele and Mrs. Scott, of the school
faculty, E. C. Willison, clerk of the school board, Mrs. E. C. Willison
and Mrs. Alice Blackburn representing the First Methodist Church with Miss
Helen Blackburn as pianist. "In the Garden" was sung by special request,
as this was the favorite song of Mrs. Nichols.  The other songs were
"Jesus Lover of My Soul," and "Rock of Ages."
Rev. R. B. Gettys, the pastor, was in charge of the services and read the
23rd Psalm, which was Mrs. Nichols' favorite chapter in the Bible, after
which he made a comforting prayer and address.
After the services were conducted, the body was taken to Durham, Okla.,
(Roger Mills County) for interment, accompanied by members of the family
and Rev. Gettys.
Matilda Anne Benson was married to Allen R. Nichols, in June 1877, he
being a son of O. Nichols of Elk City.  To this union were born six
children, the oldest Mary Etta dying in infancy, the only boy, Martin
Clark died in May 1922.  Her husband died January 4th, 1908.  The
remaining four children: Mrs. Maud Bain, Wetumka, Okla.; Mrs. Estell
Cunningham, Elk City; Mrs. Ruth Thompson, Norman, Okla.; Mrs. Laura Wells
of Follett, Texas, are left to mourn her loss.  She also leaves one
brother, Rev. T. C. Benson, Anaheim, California, a niece, Mrs. Laura
Walters, Weatherford, Okla.; seven grandchildren, one great grand child
and many other relatives and a host of friends.
She was converted when twenty years of age, joining the Friends Church. 
After marriage, she and her husband joined the First Methodist Church, of
which she was a member at Weatherford, Okla., at the time of her death.
After marriage she and family lived in Missouri, then Illinois, later
moving to Iowa, then in 1902 to Weatherford, Okla., which has been her
home since with the exception of six years spent on a farm near Durham,
Okla.  It was during this time that she lost her husband by death.  She
had spent several months with her daughter, Mrs. Cunningham.

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