Louella Nicholson

Sylvia Louella Nicholson was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and friend. Loving and attentive, she gave from her heart and instilled the same in her family. Caring and compassionate, she was able to comfort those around her. Though quiet in large gatherings, Louella showed a liveliness in individual conversations that was complemented by her sense of humor. She was a woman of faith, which not only gave her deep strength, but was noticeable in the way she lived her life. Those around her saw a kindness and sweetness that was reflected in her smile.

Sylvia Louella was born February 7, 1926 in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, the third of Myrl and Janie (Fann) Nelson’s four children. It was a time of recovery for America, following the economic and political strains of the First World War. Women had won the right to vote and Harlem, New York was regarded as the creative center for jazz, literature and art. In small town Poplar Bluff, Louella and her siblings—Carmon, Jerald and Leslie—grew up working hard on the family farm and learning values that lasted a lifetime.

Louella graduated from high school in 1944 and met the man she would marry on a blind date. Aubrey Nicholson and Louella developed a loving relationship that culminated in marriage on August 11, 1951 in Piggott, Arkansas. A justice of peace performed the ceremony, and the newlyweds settled in Columbus, Georgia for the time that Aubrey was serving in the US Army as a paratrooper. Louella worked as a cashier at a local grocery store. After his discharge, Aubrey and Louella moved to Kalamazoo Michigan,where she worked for a time at a dry cleaner. Shortly after, they moved to Martin, near Aubrey's sister Collene, where Louella entered the field of clothing manufacturing at Kessler's Factory in Wayland. The couple later settled in Plainwell in 1956. She continued to work at Kessler's, however her focus shifted when she considered beginning a family through adoption.

Daughter Leona came into the lives of Louella and Aubrey on June 6, 1963. Over the years, Louella never tired of telling the story of what a joy it was to bring their daughter home.

One of the delights of being a family was time spent together. Early in their marriage, Louella and Aubrey had enjoyed camping, and that pleasure extended through the generations. From sleeping in the back of their station wagon, to tenting and eventually traveling in their class A motor home, the two of them demonstrated how serious they were about camping. They became members of the Curtis Travelers and frequented camping events in Michigan and in several other states. Daughter Leona's first memory of camping in northern Michigan became a tale that was told and retold over the years. She had related to the neighbor that the family put their garbage on top of the station wagon. In actually, the “garbage” was their luggage, and it traveled very well across all the places they visited. Besides attending many Fann family reunions in Missouri, the Nicholsons went on the Canadian snow train, to Niagara Falls, Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Tetons and several times to Rocky Mountain National Park. In time, their granddaughter camped with them, but on those trips, they seemed to encounter one emergency or another—from engine troubles to medical events. Still, hail and hearty Louella went camping with her family as recently as October 2014.

For over a decade, Louella had stayed home to raise Leona but then went to work as a teacher’s aide in Plainwell Middle School until retirement. Energetic Louella kept going strong and took up tap dancing along with her co-workers. She remained active as a member of the First United Methodist Church of Plainwell and the "Bone Heads" Bible study group. Study they did, but they also made a tradition of going to the Plainwell Ice Cream Company on opening day and closing day of the season (not to mention several times in between)!

When Louella became a grandmother in 1984, she was as thrilled to welcome Jennifer as she had been for her own daughter. Then when Leona and her husband Randy moved to San Vito, Italy where he was stationed in the US Air Force from 1985 to 88, Louella was not deterred. She traveled to Italy to take up her role as “Nona” (Italian for grandmother and easier to pronounce for her granddaughter), which is the name Jennifer always called her. Over the years, Jennifer spent four to six weeks in Plainwell with both sets of grandparents, and Louella and Aubrey had fun taking her camping, to Deer Forest or to local parks. When great-grandson Trevor was born in 2008, he didn't call Louella “Grandma” or "Nona." Rather, it came out "Nono," and the name stuck. Louella didn’t mind. In the four years that she lived with Leona’s family beginning November 2009, she and Trevor became very close. They sat in the same chair, played checkers and Wii (actually, Louella just held the control).

While living with her daughter and son-in-law, Louella was still active in Church. She and Kathy would go to the monthly breakfast at the Newville United Methodist Church. She enjoyed going to a different restaurant each month and socializing with others from the Church. She also attended a weekly Bible Study.

Having such a community of friends and family had been especially vital when Louella’s beloved Aubrey died. For the first time in her life, she was living alone, yet she showed more strength than anyone thought she would have, in part because of her stalwart faith. Louella’s life of integrity and joy will be cherished by all who knew and loved her.

Louella Nicholson of Plainwell, Michigan passed away at her daughter’s home in Disputanta, Virginia on December 11, 2014. She was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years in 2005, and brothers Carmon Nelson,Jerald Nelson and Leslie Nelson. Her family includes her daughter Leona (Nicholson) Fitzpatrick of Disputanta, VA and husband Randy, granddaughter Jennifer (Fitzpatrick) Childs and her husband Jeremy, and great-grandson Trevor Childs of Disputanta, VA along with several nieces and nephews. Memorial services for Louella will be held at 11AM on December 19, 2014 at Plainwell First United Methodist Church and visitation will be held from 4PM to 7PM on December 18, 2014 at Life Story Funeral Home in Plainwell, MI. Memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church of Plainwell or the Newville United Methodist Church (Disputanta, VA).