Eleanor Nicholson

Eleanor Mixson Nicholson, 81, went to heaven on December 29th 2015 after a brief illness in Macon, Georgia. She was born at home in Enterprise, Alabama, October 12, 1934, the third child of Larou and Ollie Mae Lewis Mixson. She graduated from Coffee County High School and received a Bachelor's degree in education from Troy State Teachers' College. She taught in Lake City, Port St. Joe and Cottondale. While in Port St. Joe she met and married fellow teacher David Nicholson. In 1961 she, David and daughter Melissa moved to Marianna where David taught at Chipola Jr. College and their second child Warren was born. She was a devoted, loving wife and mother.
She taught school for 30 years and retired from Cottondale High School to enjoy a long, happy retirement traveling the world, visiting and caring for family, reading and other hobbies. She was an especially gifted quilter and spent countless hours piecing and quilting all manner of blankets, winning many ribbons in competitions far and wide. The quilts she cherished most were the baby quilts that were given as gifts to friends and family across the country where they served as pallets, and security blankets, happily taking on the best a toddler, washer and dryer could throw at them. They only got softer. Summer breaks were spent on family vacations, weeks at the beach and hours and hours putting up peas, butter beans, corn and squash.
She was an enthusiastic bridge player and for years played in a Monday night bridge club where the games were average but the friendships were lifelong and wonderful with much spirited conversation and side splitting laughter She was one fine a cook and would always come in after a long day of teaching and make wonderful hot meals. The kitchen table was a place the family gathered each evening for great meals, discussions of our day and much laughter. She was the center around which our family turned.
She was the family photographer and not only cajoled family members for snap shots at all family gatherings but also painstakingly put these in volume after volume of photo albums.
She was an active member of the First United Methodist Church of Marianna, studied in the Cliff Abbott Sunday School Class, served in the Lula Rawls Service Guild, the United Methodist Women and the United Methodist Quilters' Circle.
She was a member of the Marianna Women's Club, Chipola Dames Club, Delta Kappa Gamma Sorority for Teachers and The Bay County Quilters Guild.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, David Nicholson, parents Larou and Ollie Mae Mixson, brother Charles (Betty) Mixson and sister Linda Mixson. She is survived by her daughter Melissa (Tim) Anderson of Macon, Georgia, her son Warren (Kenda) Nicholson of Searcy, Arkansas, and Grand Children, Aaron (Holly) Nicholson, Nathan (Rachel) Nicholson, Ethan Nicholson and Anna Claire Nicholson, her sister Margaret (Rex) Addison of Enterprise, Alabama, and Sister in Law Sandra Nicholson of Hoover Alabama.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 January 23, 2016 in the Wesley Center at Marianna First United Methodist Church will Rev. Bill Elwell officiating. The family will greet friends at the church during the hour before the service.