NICHOLS, Alvin B.

Wickenburg Sun, Wickenburg, AZ June 8, 1956, p. 1 Alvin Nichols’ Tragic Death Is Shock To Friends A tragic accident at the intersection of the California Highway and the Vulture Mine Road last Friday morning claimed the life of Alvin B. Nichols, age 78, well known and highly respected winter resident of Wickenburg. His wife, Mrs. Edith Nichols, also 78, and Mrs. Frances McGee, age 32, of Bellflower, Calif., are both in Community Hospital here with serious injuries received in the crash. Highway Patrolman Hobart Smith, who investigated the accident, said it happened about 11 o’clock as the Nichols car, driven by Mrs Nichols was making a left turn off the California Highway on to the Vulture Mine Road. Mrs. McGee’ eastbound car struck the Nichols’ car on the right side, near the front. Mr Nichols was apparently killed instantly. The patrolman said there were no indications of speed on the part of either car. He also said that both cars were equipped with safety belts but they were not being used at the time of the accident. Mr. & Mrs Nichols, who made their home at Sylvan Village, were en route to visit Mrs Marie Trego at her residence on South Mesa of Rancho de Los Caballeros. They had bought their car, a Buick, just a few days before and it had less than 400 miles on the speedometer at the time of the accident. The other car in the accident was a Mercury. Patrolman Smith estimated the damage to both cars at about 2,000 each. Mr Nichols was a retired executive of the Standard Oil Co. of Ohio. He and Mrs Nichols who lived for many years in Cleveland, O., had been winter visitor to Arizona over a long period of years. They started coming to Wickenburg five years ago. They made many warm friends here through their friendliness, the spirit with which they entered into the life of the community and their whole-hearted generosity, always anonymous, in behalf of needy people of this area. Dr. Charles S. Poling dedicated the regular Sunday morning service at First Presbyterian Church as a memorial to Mr. Nichols. Tuesday afternoon of this week the body was taken to Clayton, Mo., where funeral services were to be held late in the week with burial in the family plot of the cemetery at Clayton, a suburb of St. Louis. Mr. Nichols is survived, in addition to his wife, by two nieces, Mrs Dorothy Nichols of Santa Barbara, Calif., who came here immediately following the accident and Mrs Margaret Nichols Bonsack of St. Louis, also a nephew of St. Lewis. The attending physician diagnosed Mrs. Nichols’ injuries as fractured ribs, left forearm and pelvis and bruises consist of a compound fracture of the right ankle and multiple abrasions, her physician said.