GED4WEB version 4.41 Nichol Arnold Herbert [Male] b. 20 APR 1918 Allensville, Stephenson Twp., Muskoka, ON - d. 18 APR 2001 New Liskeard, ON
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Title: canada.GED
MY EULOGY TO UNCLE ARNOLD
By Ross Earl
I have been given the honour of speaking about the life and times of Uncle Arnold. Uncle Arnold said he did not want a funeral so this is a gathering of family and friends to celebrate the very successful life of a real family man.
(FAMILY BACKGROUND)
Arnold Herbert Nichol was born on April 20th, 1918 in Allensville, Ontario near Huntsville. He had an older brother Elvin and three sisters - Hilda, Ethel and Norma (the baby) who is in attendance here today with her daughter Marilyn and son-in-law Bill. He attended a single room school in Allensville, growing up on the farm, which is still in the family after more than 100 years with our second cousin, Ernie.
In 1942 he married Beulah Beatrice Bush and raised two boys: Lynn and Danny. They were together for 46 years until Beulah's death in 1988. In his latter years Uncle Arnold married his childhood sweetheart Maurine Shaw Hammond.
(BACKGROUND FROM DANNY AND ANN)
Dad was a hard-working man. He was a teamster, a miner, a truck driver, and a transport manager, finally retiring in 1980. His first job, at 14, was in the bush logging. In fact, for his 80th birthday the family gave him a bronze statue of "The Sawyer" by local artist Ernie Fauvelle, in honour of the wonderful zany stories he would relate about those days in the bush (you can see it on the table with the pictures).
Not to be outdone, he then produced from the basement, the identical antique one-man saw. He wanted Brian Conlin to include it with the antique tools displayed at his home. The saw was still sharp
enough to cut through a Martineau Bay log. Brian was amazed at the strength it took to get the job done. "Imagine making your living like this." "Dad was an avid outdoorsman all of his life, no doubt due to his early life in Allensville. He spent every minute he could hunting and fishing. In fact, one of his goals in life was to hunt until he surpassed his father who hunted until he was 80. Dad hunted into his 83rd year."
Uncle Arnold loved to fish, a trait obviously inherited by his youngest son Danny. Danny's earliest memories of his father involve fishing. They didn't let a closed season bother them; they just changed species. Later, grandchildren were part of the fishing party, and a trip to the lake or the river always included a picnic lunch to make a day of it. Uncle Arnold loved to ice fish in his younger years and he had a style of his own for this also. He would sit in a chair beside the hole all bundled up in a mummy type sleeping bag which he bragged was good to 70 degrees below zero. In later years Uncle Arnold looked forward to salmon fishing in Danny's big boat, something to him, which must have been a real luxury.
Uncle Arnold loved to hunt and these genes were passed on to his eldest son Lynn. Lynn was able to visit his father in February for a week and I'm sure they reminisced about people, hunting and their love for guns. It was a very comforting visit for both Father and son. Uncle Arnold was a very successful hunter and if you 'suppered' at the Nichol household and you did not have pickerel, you probably had moose; for these two products graced the table of the Nichol household for many a meal.
If Uncle Arnold wasn't telling a moose story he was involved in one. His great-nephew decided to have his marriage vows outdoors, at the old Nichol homestead in Huntsville. During the wedding ceremony a moose crashed the wedding and passed us all twice catching the attention of everyone. You can imagine this event would stir an old hunter's heart (especially out of season and with no gun).
Uncle Arnold remained positive and determined to hunt to the very end of his life. On Easter weekend I phoned and he mentioned he was off to get his moose license for the 2001 hunt and looking forward to it.
(THOUGHTS FROM ANN AND DANNY)
Dad was kind, just, humble and compassionate. He loved to dance, listen to music and would play cards at the drop of a hat. It did take a while to teach some of the grandchildren the golden rules of Euchre, but this was accomplished with much glee over "Acing My Trump" until they were savvy enough to beat him at his own game.
Dad was a familiar face at the local mall, taking advantage of the climate control to take his walk. Or, on other days he would be seen hiking home from there, having had Maurine drop him off for his exercise.
He was a superb storyteller, with a fine mind for detail. In his eighties, he could still recite the lines of poems, sonnets and such that he had memorized as a young boy - not to mention all the names of relatives, friends and acquaintances spanning his 80 plus years.
Dad chose to be a happy man. You only had to look at the sparkle in his eye in any photograph to see how infectious this could be. If Dad is watching us now he would be glad we are together celebrating his life, and he would wish that we all live our lives to the fullest. And if there is a fishing lake or stream in heaven, he's sitting there today, patiently baiting the pickerel rig or setting up the downrigger rod, waiting for the big one. He would want us to smile when we think of him and know he is at peace.
(UNCLE ARNOLD AND ME; ROSS EARL)
My memories of Uncle Arnold are the earliest memories I have. I had a recurring dream of being very small and fishing on a floating bridge. After many years I asked my mother about the dream and she could hardly believe that I could possible recall the event. Mom said that the family had all gone fishing with Arnold to a floating bridge in Matachewan and I was only 2 years old.
I also remember Uncle Arnold driving the Eplett's ice cream truck to Toronto and invariably stopping in Huntsville on his way back home. My dad died when I was 12, so I really looked forward to Uncle Arnold's visits. I remember on one occasion going to New Liskeard and "doing " a delivery run in the Eplett's truck. I could have lived with Uncle
Arnold forever. It was the only place I knew where there was always ice cream in the freezer.
He taught me how to catch, prepare and cook my one and only Sturgeon caught in the White River near New Liskeard. There is a story that goes with one also. It was pickerel season and a game warden came by. He also taught me what to do when we shot a moose. Now they smile and hand me the knife. I blame it on him.
(ARNOLD WITH NEIGHBOURS AND FRIENDS)
We wish to acknowledge Uncle Arnold's neighbour and friend Joe, who kept an eye on him and his house knowing Danny and Lynn lived too far away.
Also, our heartfelt thanks to Bärbel, and to Adele, Beate who set up home-care so that Uncle Arnold could continue to live at home and "be in control of his own life."
Our warm thanks to Cathy who helped Uncle Arnold with his paper work and who also visited with him.
And a thank you from all of the family to Dr. Andy Hurtubise for his friendship, thoughtfulness and support.
LAST THOUGHTS
Father of Lynn (wife Bette) of Calgary, Danny (wife Ann) of Southampton, Stepfather of Tom (wife Sandy) of Huntsville. Proud grandfather of Barbara, Tracey, Bonnie and Amy. Great grandfather of Sheri, Krista, Robert, Jarrett and Kennedy Ann. He was especially excited about the birth of Kennedy and intrigued with the fact that he had a picture just hours after her birth (the computer age) His pride and joy were in this family of his.
Arnold was a picture person. He always carried pictures of his family and all the latest additions to the clan which he would proudly produce whenever the occasion permitted. He was a very happy family man and what a family he had.
To take a line from a movie I watched the other night. "You are not dead as long as you are remembered". So Uncle Arnold, brother, father, grandpa and great-grandpa, you will be around for a long time as memories of occasions and your stories will often come to mind.
He was a satisfied man and would not have wanted life any other way. And lastly a personal comment from Danny: "He was more than a father, he was my Dad"
My Eulogy to Uncle Arnold.
God bless, Ross
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