Mary Frances Piercy Nichols’ Diary – Section 3

Wednesday, January 21, 1959

He [ Dr. Josiah Hinds, great grandfather of Mary Frances Piercy Nichols ] wrote books on chemistry, too. When I was a young girl, he wrote the Sunday School lesson for the Presbyterian Sunday Schools. He wrote a Hinds Diary, I’ve never seen, but would love to read. I’ve been told it was in Cossett Library in Memphis, Tenn. I’ve always meant to find out.

Sam Woodbury, who was reared here, by us in Munford, said there was a plaque in UT at Knoxville, for Dr. J.D. Hinds. Any way glad to have relatives who were Godly, rather than worshiping the material things of this world for the material things fade away. But God is always from everlasting to everlasting.

The place on Mill Branch Road is north of Raines Ave. and South of Brooks Ave. We then turned left on Brooks back to 51 Highway, we then drove back to the place my parents lived many years until they died which was on Mallory Ave near Dunn [according to death certificates and city directories it was at Mallory Ave and Perry Rd], it too had been changed the house was the same with the same

Thursday, January 22, 1959

roof – but houses were built all around then only a small front yard with a black young tree looked the same. The roof was put on more than 30 years ago, by my brother Bill.

The house on the corner which is on corner of Dunn and Mallory, Mamma and Papa gave Bill and family the lot to build on when they hadn’t been married very long. It is still there and that’s where Papa passed away after being ill for a long time of senility and old age combined. Bill and his family live at 2715 Byrd at present. We got back home after this trip about 5 pm.

So down through the ages of time, when we go back to the things, that use to be, most times, we find drastic changes have been made for all of the neighborhood of White Haven and Raines is a new place filled with homes and people. Only a few still remain. I noted Mr. Jim Hale’s home, the Farrow home, Ford N Taylor place, J.C. Harkin, Graceland the home of Elvis Presley owned by Grace Toof was in my day, occupied by Mr. Simmon who was deaf bought calves and sold them for a living. And, he had an unmarried daughter I remember well, Miss. Goldie.

Friday, January 23, 1959

Things I heard about your dad’s family, your Grandmother Nichols was Margaret Brown and married your grandfather, W. H. Nichols. Your grandmother called him Billy. Her father Brown gave each of his children some money when they married. Then your grandmother gave Billy her money to use and she told me a number of times, Billy could always make money. he acquired land in Obion County and a farm near Kenton, Tenn. where he built a big two story home for his family. His youngest brother Joe, told me that Billy selected all the lumber that went into his home. He had a saw mill to make lumber near Reeves, Tenn. near the Obion bottom, where he owned around 1,000 acres of timber. Alfred, the oldest son, married Hetty Fulghum who lived near Humbolt, Tenn. She had a sister who married Penn Stubblefield, who lived in Obion. Alfred and Hetty had several children, Edna Earl, who was about one year younger than I am, Dave, Harry, Elmer and Martha Thelma. Will too married and separated early

Saturday, January 24, 1959

in their marriage. They had one daughter who we last heard of in Calif. Will later married and was very happy another daughter on last report lives in Georgia. Will died many years ago.

Alfred left Hetty, who wasn’t well and later had a 20 lbs tumer removed from abdomen. His family stood by her and her children. They never lived together again.

Walter married when he was almost 40 years old, to Florence Sinclair of Kenton, Tenn. They had two children, Carolyn and Joe. At present, Carolyn is in Pennsylvania and Joe is in Florida. Walter died in Clearwater Fla., in the courtroom. He was a lawyer and had heart trouble. He asked to be granted a recess but the judge didn’t grant the recess and Walter died in the arms of his daughter, Carolyn, whom he was always devoted. [Uncle Walter was the lawyer in Carolyn’s divorce and it was her divorce case in which he died.] His wife lives in Dunedin, Fla at present. She is now 68. She is Gertrude Nichol’s sister.

Effie Nichols, who is two years older than your dad, studied music and taught piano. She married Marvin Harrison [Samuel M F Harrison] who lived close by all her life. They had two children. Walter Nichols Harrison who married Maureen ——- of Texas. [It was Gretna Maurine Mathis Dietal Harrison. She married William Dietel Jr before Walter.] They live in Florence and have 4 children. Margaret, married

Sunday, January 25, 1959

Junius Liles they live in Florence and have three sons – ????? Nichols, who was just younger than Walter, never married. She graduated as a nurse at nashville City Hospital and was later head nurse of Vanderbilt and City Hospital there. She was always a most unselfish person, gave to her family, any time, they were in need. Her sister Effie, she devoted her life, gave her furniture, clothes, money, kept a maid for her and wanted to her always have the best. Finally many years ago when the S. M. Harrison family, who first lived in Trenton, Tenn. where Effie’s brother Walter was a lawyer and was once past master of Trenton loterum (?) 1929. There was a depression Walter Nichols had many offers ??? had property went broke. Walter went to Florida to sell real estate. There was a boom there, Effie and her family went to Florida too.

Ross Nichols, who was always around his home, married Gertrude Sinclair, sister of Florence Nichols in 1917. Three daughters were born, Evelyn Marie 1918, Martha and Virginia.

Monday, January 26, 1959

Ross too, went broke and several farms and other property was sold for maybe 1/2 its value so Ross and family too went to Clear Water, Fla. to live.

Alvie Nichols was given a farm when he was 21 years old from his father’s estate. he was the youngest, then in 1929, Alvie sold his farm and went with his wife Louise and sons, Wm Harris and Clyde, to Calif. The Ross Nichols family moved back to Memphis where Ross worked with Forrest Hill Dairy until he had to retire on account of his heart condition until he died about 6 years later.

The Harrison family moved to Florence, Ala later and Effie’s mother stayed part time with her and Elbert Nichols family who is your dad. Martha Nichols [Ma Nichols] later went to Florence to live. She bought a furnished home for her sister and family with a baby grand piano so that her sister could continue her piano practice. Later Ma Nichols got too old to go from place to place and she stayed with Effie. Martha kept help for her sister worked she being industrious gave much ????

Tuesday, January 27, 1959

herself to help take care of her mother and her sister and family —

One incident in Martha’s life to show you how very unselfish she was when she was quite a young woman and head nurse at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, Tenn. there was a little brown eyed boy named Jimmy, whose mother was a widow, and lived at Milan, Tenn. Jimmy had club feet, you know front of feet are back instead of right way – he went to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville while your Aunt Mat was head nurse, Jimmy was three, and he was operated on and for a year, every body helped Jimmy. Finally, because Mat loved him so, she decided to keep him and kept him in hospital as long as she could. She then pd her sister $50.00 per month and she furnished Jimmy’s clothes and all he needed and helped Effie in any way possible, keeping help for her, Jimmy graduated from high school and “Miss. Nichols” as he addressed Martha gave him his choice of staying on or returning to his mother who had 6 other children and he help his mother. He chose to return to his mother and moved there a few years and died of pneumonia.

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Family Line

• Alfred E Nichols (1821-1858) m. Martha Frances Waters (1823-1905)
  • Mary Jane (1845-1934) m. George Washington Causby (1844-1931)
  • William Henry “Bill” (1847-1906) m. Margaret J “Gettie” Brown (1850-1942)
    • William Thomas (1867-1964) m. Nannie May Sanders (1884-1965)
    • John Alfred (1871-1950) m. Hettie Daisy Fulghum (1871-1948)
    • M. L. Nichols (b. 1873)
    • Joseph Walter (1873-1954) m. Florence Sinclaire (1891-1974)
    • Martha Jane “Mattie” (1876-1959)
    • Albert Perry (1878-1958) m. Janie Rebecca Shrum (1888-1977)
    • Ider A (1879-1958)
    • Odis (1883-1884)
    • Ora (1885-1916) m. Chas Huntington (b. 1887)
    • Effie Lucile (1887-1962) m. Samuel Marvin F Harrison (1886-1960)
    • Elbert Royal Nichols Sr (1889-1966) m1. Mary Frances Piercy (1893-1964) m2. Maude E McGregor
      • Mary Frances Nichols Howard (1914-1980)
      • Elbert Royal Nichols Jr. (1918-1998)
      • Walter Piercy Nichols (1920-2003)
      • Richard Thomas Nichols (1923-2000)
      • Margaret Alice Nichols Williams
      • Nancy Ann Nichols Gross (1937-2018)
    • Ross Brown Nichols (1891-1946) m. Gertrude Mattie Sinclaire (1893-1982)
    • Alvie Reeves Nichols (1894-1957) m. Mary Louise Connell (1907-1952)
  • John H Nichols (1851-1921) m1. Rebecca F m2. Fannie R
    • Emma E Phillips
  • James Paris Nichols (1853-1936) m. Margurite M Pearson (1853-1936)
    • Anna May Nichols (b. 1885)
    • Dora Lee Nichols (b. 1887)
    • Melvin Lexie Nichols (1889-1912)
    • Nellie Florence Nichols (b. 1892)
    • Welley F Nichols (b. 1892)
    • Joe Brooks Nichols (1878-1949)
  • Letitia Annette Nichols (1854-1925) m. Jefferson Greene Wilkinson (1849-1904)
    • William T. Wilkinson (1873-1919)
    • Maggie Latonia Wilkinson (1874-1921)
    • Mary F Wilkinson (b. 1879)
    • Lemuel Alford Wilkinson (b. 1881)
    • Rufus O Wilkinson (b. 1883)
    • Nettie Wilkinson Maxey (1884-1952)
    • Gertrude Ola Wilkinson (b. 1891)
    • Fredric C Wilkinson (b. 1893)
  • Thomas Lemuel Nichols (1856-1941) m. Clara J Guy (b. 1879)
    • Paul E Nichols (b. 1902)
    • Clara Nichols (b. 1904)
    • Mary E Nichols (b. 1905)
    • Tom L Nichols (b. 1908)
    • Louise E Nichols (1913-1997)
  • Alfred Josiah Nichols (1858-1933) m. Mary L Stanfield (b. 1861)
    • Luther L Nichols (b. 1877)
    • Thomas Edgar Nichols (b. 1885)
    • Lovie Alliene Nichols (b. 1894)