Our fellow longtime Democratic activist, union-builder, Precinct Chairman, and former County Chairman Hall Nichols has passed away. Funeral services will be held tomorrow (Saturday) at the Dicke Allen Funeral Home Chapel in Cushing. Visitation is scheduled for tonight from 6-8 at the same location. All other info is below:
Funeral services for Hall E. Nichols, 83, of Cushing will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 23, 2011, at the Dickie Allen Funeral Home Chapel in Cushing with the Rev. Keith Tilley, the Rev. Ernest Dixon and Eric Nichols officiating. Interment will follow at McKnight Cemetery in Cushing. Mr. Nichols died Wednesday, July 20, 2011, in Nacogdoches. He was born December 11, 1927, in Cushing, Texas, the sixth child of George Washington and Elsie Whitaker Nichols. He was married to Mary Lee Vardeman December 24, 1949. He was a long-time union member and avid supporter of labor unions. He started a campaign to sign up Red Ball Motor Freight employees under union contract. This campaign lasted ten years, and 5,000 employees eventually became members. He was also a strong supporter of the Democratic Party and was elected Democratic Precinct chairman in Nacogdoches County in 1992. His views were often published in “Sound Off” in the Nacogdoches paper. Hall was a member of the Cushing 42 Club and won numerous tournaments. He was also a member of the Democratic Women of Nacogdoches, the Sons of the American Revolution, the Sons of the Republic of Texas, the Sons of the Confederate Veterans and the Nacogdoches Genealogy Society. He is preceded in death by his parents; sister, Helene Johnston-Denham; and infant sister, Adelle. Survivors include his wife, Mary Nichols of Irving, Texas; son and daughter-in-law, Gene and Margi Nichols of Irving, Texas; daughters and sons-in-law, Shirley and Thomas Rogers of Lubbock, Texas, and Barbara and Greg Iffland of Irving, Texas; brothers, Herbert Nichols of Cushing, Texas, Haward Nichols of Cushing, Texas, and Lester Nichols of Cushing, Texas; sister, Holly Blackburn of Nacogdoches, Texas; grandchildren, Jessica Brown, Eric Nichols, Matthew Nichols, Hannah Eyre and Mackenzie Iffland.; great-grandson, Owen Murphy; godson, Michael Milner of Irving, Texas; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Visitation is scheduled from 6 until 8 p.m. Friday July 22, 2011, at the funeral home in Cushing. Dickie Allen Funeral Home, Cushing.
