Mary Frances Nicholson
Psalm 31:30 tell us, "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Mary Frances Nicholson was a praiseworthy woman who lived her life honoring God through the many ways she reached out in love to those around her.
Mary Frances was born on April 15, 1929 in Washington County to Claude and Mary Blanche Bennett Green. Claude and Mary owned a farm in the Campbellsburg area. Their four children, Mary Frances, Ervin, Don, and Vivian, were raised on that farm and attended Campbellsburg High School. Mary Frances graduated in 1947, along with twelve other students.
On February 12, 1956, she started her life with Burl Nicholson. Mary Frances was the loving mother of five sons, Carl, David, Norman, and Lee Nicholson, and Jon Green. In addition to be a loving mother and wife, she also worked for many years as an assistant loan associate at the Federal Land Bank. She spent many years taking care of her boys and supporting her husband in his career as a carpenter and welder and later as a teacher of welding at a vocational school. Her sons kept her busy with their activities, which included many years of playing football and being involved in FFA at West Washington. She also took wonderful care of Norman, who was born with Down's Syndrome. She went to great measures to make sure that he had every opportunity possible, including being able to go to public school. Thanks to Mary Frances's effort and commitment to Norman, he was able to learn a great deal. He was also able to develop into a loving and happy individual.
Mary Frances was one of those people who never hesitated to dive into community activities or service opportunities. "She always liked to do everything for everyone else," recalls her daughter-in-law Dana Nicholson. She was involved in the Theta Omicron Chapter of the Phi Beta Psi and was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Grace Rebekah Lodge 188, the Campbellsburg Betterment Committee, and the Campbellsburg Festival Committee.
Mary Frances will also be remembered by many for her 25 years of committed service at Blue River Services. Providing services for the disabled was near and dear to Mary Frances's heart due to the fact that her son Norman was born with disabilities. She spent many years as a Blue River Services Board member, helping to make sure that the services provided by Blue River were not only top notch and state-of-the-art for Norman but also for any individuals benefiting from them. She was influential in a time that Blue River was exploring new ways they could serve individuals with disabilities and the broader needs of the community. "She was one of the most dedicated, involved Board members we have had during my 28 years at Blue River," says Dan Lowe, President and CEO of Blue River Services. "Mary Frances was a wonderful woman and her contributions to Blue River Services and Southern Indiana are huge. She always had a positive disposition and brought a very positive attitude to the Board."
Mary Frances had a tireless work ethic and a truly giving heart. She could always be found at the annual Special Olympics, helping Norman and all of the other participants have the best performance possible. She was also very involved with the Relay for Life that benefited the American Cancer Society and helped organize countless fundraising dinners for cancer research put on by the Phi Beta Psi. "Mary Frances just had to be involved in anything good that was going on in the community or through organizations," recalled Bob Holler at her funeral. "If you wanted to get it done, you involved busy people, and who would be more busy that Mary Frances?"
Mary Frances was also very dedicated to her church family. She had grown up attending Cavetown Methodist Church and Sugar Creek Methodist Church in Campbellsburg, and she stayed involved at both of these churches until they combined to become New Hope Methodist. She truly cared for the people not only of her church, but everyone around her. She often wrote cards and sweet notes to people who needed some encouragement or something to cheer them up. Other times she would simply call people just to check to see how they were doing, or she would cheer people up with her delicious homemade pies. Later in life, she faced a very trying time herself as she battled cancer. Even through this time, she continued to make a difference to those around her.
Mary Frances also faced her share of tragedy and sadness in her lifetime. In March of 2001, her son Norman and her husband were killed in a house fire. She also experienced the sadness of the death of one of her thirteen grandchildren, Sara Strange, in 2004. Even through these times of tragedy and dealing with the loss of her beloved husband and son, Mary Frances faithfully continued to serve through Blue River. She also continued to be a loving mother, grandmother to eleven grandchildren, and great grandmother.
In honor of Mary Frances Nicholson's servant's heart, Blue River Services started a fund in her name through the Washington County Community Foundation in 2006. The Mary Frances Nicholson Fund honors her many years of dedicated work by providing monetary help to the programs provided by Blue River Services. Thanks to this fund, Mary Frances' giving will continue for many years to come.
