Ruel John Nichols
December 15, 1921 ~ May 28, 2006
Resided in:
Candler, NC
Asheville Butterfly Trail
Ruel J. Nichols, 84, of 101 Moody Avenue, Candler, died Sunday, May 28, 2006, at St. Joseph Campus, Mission Hospitals, following a brief illness.
A native of Young Harris, GA, he was a son of the late George Edgar and Lassie O. Bryson Nichols. A graduate of Young Harris College, he was Haywood County agency manager of NC Farm Bureau Insurance for 20 years.
Mr. Nichols enjoyed traveling with his wife and family, and had visited every state in the continental United States, in addition to Hawaii. He took pride in the care and looks of his home, which he built himself in 1949, while working a fulltime job. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, and he loved his church and the Christ it was built on. He helped and supported Edgewood Baptist Church as a member since 1946, and served as Chairman of the Deacons, Sunday School director and teacher, choir member, and for the past 12 years, Spiritual Father. He attended weekly services as long as his health allowed it.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Carmen Martin Nichols; daughter, Judi King and her husband, Jerry Dean King, of Leicester; sons, Mike Nichols of Sylva and Jerry Nichols of Candler; grandchildren, Nathan and Jesse Hooper, and four great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday at Edgewood Baptist Church with the Rev. Charles Shelton officiating. Interment will follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
The family will receive friends an hour and a half prior to the service at the church.
The family requests that memorials be made to Edgewood Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, PO Box 2260, Candler, NC 28715.
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Certainly a faithful follower of Jesus Christ all of his days! A strong pillar of the community!He loved and cared for Edgewood Baptist Church for decades and will be greatly missed.
Mrs. Nichols, Mike, Jerry and Judi: I am so sorry to hear about your loss. Mr. Nichols was a wonderful person and someone who I truly admired. I will always remember coming up Moody Avenue and seeing him out in the yard or sitting on the back porch. Colin and I send our deepest sympathies and prayers.
Carmen & family, I just found out today that Ruel had passed away and I wanted to extend my sympathy to all of you. He was so well loved and thought of and my prayers are with all of you at this time.
To The Nichols Family:
I can’t tell you how much Ruel meant to me and my husband. He was the most inspiring man we have ever known. He was definitely molded in the image of Jesus Christ. He loved God and His Son Jesus, his church, his family, and his church family and we knew that. He told everyone how he loved all these things and was always inviting people to church. Some came and some didn’t but he continued on inviting and praying. Oh how he could pray.
He taught me more in 5 years about God than I’ve learned in my entire life. He was a wonderful Sunday School teacher and we know our class ‘The Faith’ Class will miss his teachings that were so easy to understand and his stories from his younger days. My husband always comments about how Ruel talked about the changing world and how they sure aren’t like it was when he was growing up. And there is the book he was going to write about what he didn’t know why things happened the way they did. Now that book is finished and he knows all the answers and he can definitely tell us what heaven is like. We used to talk about wonder what heaven looked like. We will see him again one day. And as Ruel said ‘The Lord Jesus Christ is coming back for His children and taking them home and we’ll all know the answers’ and I believe that.
I will never forget the special words he said to me and how he cared about other people and me and my husband were just some of the ones he cared about and he let us know he was there for us always. I will never forget talking to him back when he was in the hospital the last time he was sick, he had such faith. He was so full of love and he had the wisdom that we hope we can just begin to carry on in the same way that he taught us.
I kissed him on the head Thursday, May 25th in his hospital bed (Patty Robinson and I) and told him bye and I loved him and that was the last time I saw him but he will live forever and ever in my heart and then one day we’ll see him again.
We will miss him so much and I know you will also. I pray that maybe some of you can join us at Edgewood Baptist Church and help carry the light that he carried all the years he was there.
God bless you and may God give you the strength that only He can and will if you ask.
Your loved one ‘Ruel Nichols’ touched our lives and we are so thankful God let him be in our lives and on the path he walked and let him share part of his life and his Christlike ways with us.
Love You All,
Joe Bob & Teressa Warren
Thinking of you at this time. We were sadden to here about Mr. Nichols death. I always remember the kids hollaring across the street to ‘Nick’ You are in our thoughts and prayers!
Our thoughts are with Mr. Nichols family and friends. As a youth growing up with my grandparents in the Edgewood community, I remember Mr. Nichols not only as a devoted christian, but a mainstay in the Edgewood Church. He was there from the very early years. My grandmother, Rebecca Ammons always felt that God brought Ruel to The community.
Michael,Judy,and Jerry, I am so sorry to hear about your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Love,Mary
Judi, we were so sorry to hear about your Dad. Even though we never met him we know that he raised a kind, beautiful and loving daughter. Our prayers and love are with you. If you need us, please call. We love you sister.
Greg, Linda and girls
To Carmen and Family,
Please accept my deepest sympathy for your loss. Ruel will be greatly missed in the community. He was a true friend to all and was seen working in his yard constantly keeping it in top notch shape.
God bless you,
Bill Looney
Dearest Carmen and family,
You are in my prayers today.
I wish I could be with you but am having hand surgery.
Ruel has always been extra special to Bruce and me. Memories from our travels and lake vacations and
just being together will keep him in our hearts until we see him again.
God Bless you,
Jean
Carmen, Judi, Mike and Jerry –
Just wanted you to know how much your Dad & Husband meant to me and my family. He was always such a pillar of strength and I always looked up to him as a Godly man, a leader in our church, and a mentor and friend.
Carmen, I am so glad you and Ruel came and visited us in FL a few years back. We had a great time and I remember how much fun we had.
Carmen and Judi, I remember the trips to Florida – the day we broke down on the way to Disney, the dinner at Kaypok Tree Inn, and the trips to the Lake and to Myrtle Beach. It was fun growing up with your family & Ruel was such a strong family man & role model.
Carmen, we just have to rest in knowing that he is now walking the street of gold…meeting those who have gone before, and just waiting on the rest of us believers in Christ to join him in heaven!
I love you and I am praying that God will comfort you in this time of loss.
Remember, we don’t say ‘goodbye’ we say, ‘Good night, see you in the morning.’
Because ‘One glad morning, when this life is ore’ I’ll fly away, to a home on God’s celestial shore, I’ll fly away….. I’ll fly away ole glory, I’ll fly away.’
Love, Connie (Hollingsworth), Brett, Christy and Catherine Saunders
Dear Carmen, Jesse, and family,
We are so sorry to hear of your great loss. Please know that your family will be in our prayers during this time.
DEAR AUNT CARMEN,MIKE,JERRY and JUDY
UNCLE RUEL WILL BE MISSED BY EVERYONE. I, FOR ONE, FEEL AS IF I WAS ALWAYS A PART OF THE FAMILY, NOT JUST A RELATIVE, I THANK YOU FOR THAT. I ALWAYS FELT THAT IF I REALLY NEEDED SOME TYPE OF GUIDANCE, THAT I COULD ALWAYS TURN TO UNCLE RUEL FOR IT. HE HAD A WAY OF COMFORTING OTHERS.
MAY YOU FIND PEACE KNOWING THAT ALL OF YOU ARE LOVED. UNCLE RUEL WILL BE GREATLY MISSED.
MY LOVE and PRAYERS,
KATHY
Dear Aunt Carmen, Judy, Mike, and Jerry
I have very fond memories of Uncle Ruel. I know without question, as he was a fine man of high character, and devoted servant of God, he is now with the Lord! Praise His Name!
Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
David Henson
Dear Carmen,
We send you our deepest condolences. Ruel was one of the sweetest men I’ve ever met. You and your family are in my prayers. Sending you lots of love and Gods Blessings,
Charla, Michael, Jackson, Caitlyn & Kurt
I am so sorry I could not be there with you in person. My thoughts and prayers are with you. With love, Susan Lewis, Scotts Creek Church
Mrs. Nichols, Mike, Jerry & Judi, sorry to hear of your loss. I know how hard it is to loss a loved ones. Brian Billings my oldest son passed away 2 1/2 years ago. We do miss them so much but only with our faith we know we will see them again someday. Just know that we are thinking about it. Mr. Nichols has been greeted with opened arms by some wonderful people that have gone on before us. You are in our prayers and thoughts.
Dear Aunt Carmen, Mike, Jerry, Judy,
You all are in my thoughts and prayers during this time of sorrow. I admired Uncle Ruel and his gentle ways. He was such a wonderful man. I will miss him. I have wonderful memories of the times we all spent together. I find peace in knowing that he is walking with the Lord.
I love you all.