----Source: GREENWOOD GLEANER (Greenwood, Wis.) 01/07/1915

Nichol, John A. (6 MAY 1842 - 25 Dec 1914)

John Albert Nichol was born May 6th, 1842, London Township, Ontario, Canada, and died Dec. 25th, 1914, in the town of Eaton, Clark County, Wis., aged 72 years, 7 months and 19 days. Having been married, Oct. 2nd, 1861, to Miss Anna Shouldice. He ventured a journey to Wisconsin in 1871.

While here he purchased land in the town of Eaton, five miles south of Greenwood, out of which to make a farm, and on which he lived to the day of his death.

In 1872 he brought his family to this new home in the wilderness to begin anew the "battler of life" with not much in sight but hard work and a few widely scattered neighbors.

Nearly a score of years found the husband and the father in the lumber camp during the long, weary winters; while the fond mother, tenderly cared for the "little ones" at home.

There are those now living who well remember the happy little group of boys and girls in the little "shanty" down by the creek, as active as the squirrels of the forest, and as joyful as the birds that sang in the tree tops.

During those long years of toil and sacrifice, it became almost a "proverb," that there was one man in the camp that could drive a team of oxen while skidding logs, all winter without swearing even once, and it might also have bee said that he came home every spring without having spent one cent of his wages in "drinking or smoking."

Thus died two brave hearts and two wise heads soon come into possession of a good farm, on which stood a comfortable house and barn, and near which stood a little log school house, that was located on that little sand hill, just a few rods east of the McMahon’s corners.

Verily the children had about as good a start, as to education as some of the greatest men of modern times.

Mrs. Ann Shouldice Nichol died April 20, 1894, having been the mother of two sons and three daughters, of these: Isabelle became the wife of A.F. Waterbury, and died Dec. 20th, 1890, george B. Nichol lives at Minocqua, Wis., Maria is the wife of John Huntzicker, of Greenwood, Wis., John E. Nichol, is a resident of Duluth, Minn., and "Dony" is the wife of E.B. Carpenter of Seattle, Wash., and since her marriage, Mrs. Carpenter has returned from the West, on two occasions, to spend many weeks among the dear ones of her old home: but long distances forbade such an effort, at this season of the year, much as she longed to be at the funeral of her father, and much as she was missed.

Dec. 8th, 1899 Mr. Nichol married Miss Helen Luchterhand, and she remains in the "good old home" with two promising boys, Paul Alexander, aged 9, and Harry A., aged 5, to begin again a career not much less trying than was that struggle of more than forty years ago, on the part of those who have gone before.

Mr. Nichol lived and died a Presbyterian.

At the organization of the Presbyterian Church, of Greenwood, he was transferred from the Neillsville Church, and along with Robert McCalvy, Henry Huntzicker and A.F. Waterbury was elected a Ruling Elder of this church, worshipping most of the time at Rutger Chapel, on the Twenty-Six Road.

Of late years the official burdens have fallen mostly upon him,, especially as Clerk of the Church Session.

Mr. Nichol was neither emotional nor sentimental. He was conservative as well as firm. A little more pliability might have made him more cheerful as well as more useful. Some people May have misunderstood him, and he may in return have misunderstood some people. But, in any case he nearly always kept very quiet about such matters. He mingled but little in politics, as such, but was often called upon to serve on the School Board, as well as on the County Board.

His illness was severe and somewhat brief. The funeral was attended at the Presbyterian Church of Greenwood. His new pastor, A.H. Anderson of Veefkind officiating, assisted by Rev. W.T. Hendren, his old pastor and special friend during all these long years since 1872.

The music was fine and the floral offerings abundant as well as beautiful. The closing services at the church as well as at the grave were under the direction of the Masonic Order, led by Homer C. Clark, of Neillsville, all of which were impressive as well as appropriate. Tender and tearful were all the songs and prayers, as the sorrowing ones were commended to the God of all grace and all comfort. Burial was in the Greenwood Cemetery.