William Austin Nichols

Mary drew this charcoal sketch of her grandfather, William Austin Nichols, in 2010.  Her grandfather was a navy officer who served in both World War II and the Korean conflict.Mary drew this sketch as a present for her grandmother, Florence Elizabeth Nichols, who was known affectionately by Mary and her sisters as “Meemaw”.  Meemaw had recently celebrated her 100th birthday.  Mary had earlier drawn a sketch of her grandmother and wanted to present her grandmother with a matching sketch of her late husband.  Because there was limited space on the wall of Meemaw’s nursing home room, the two sketches were placed above one another.  Mary’s grandmother asked “Why can’t they be side-by-side?”  The management of the nursing home agreed to move a bulletin board to make room for both sketches so they could hang “side-by-side” just like Meemaw requested.  Meemaw passed away within hours after her late husband’s sketch was hung next to hers.  In honor of her grandmother, both sketches are now hanging “side-by-side” in Mary’s home in Colorado just like Meemaw requested.