Eldon F. Nicholson

A Memorial Service for Eldon was held on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at the First Congregational United Church Of Christ in Geneva, Nebraska. Kim Dunker presided over the Memorial Service. Karen Kohler was the accompanist and she provided the prelude and postlude music. She also accompanied Ava Materese in the singing of "Father's Eyes" and the congregation in the singing of "I was There To Hear Your Borning Cry." The recorded selection "You Are My Miracle" was also played during the Memorial Service. All of Eldon's grandchildren were honorary pallbearers. There will be a private Committal of Ashes at a later date at the Belvidere Cemetery, Belvidere, Nebraska. Memorials are suggested to the family. Eldon Floyd Nicholson was born to Floyd Gilbert and Jesse (Larsen) Nicholson on August 29, 1931, on a farm a mile south of Beaver City, Nebraska. He passed away on Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at his home in Geneva, Nebraska at the age of 93 years, 8 months and 1 day. He was the third of four children: Ivan Burdette, Bertha Belle, Eldon Floyd, and Nelda Joy. The family moved into Beaver City the following February after Eldon’s birth. At his last class reunion, they cheered, "Ich!" when he walked into the room, and he laughed right along with them. One of his most endearing qualities remained throughout his lifetime-the ability to laugh at himself. After graduating from Cambridge High School in 1949, Eldon went on to Kearney State College, graduating in 1954. He married Lois Wurst that summer and they moved to Littleton, Colorado, where she taught school and he attended lliff School of Theology. During the last two years of college, he served a small rural church 10 miles southwest of Kearney, Elizabeth Valley Methodist Church. Six children were born to this union before family problems resulted in divorce. Eldon then married Verna Crown and was married for 10 years before the marriage dissolved. One son was born to this marriage. Having already served several churches with the Methodist Church, beginning as an Accepted Supply, ordained Deacon in 1954, and Elder in 1958, he was officially ordained in June of 1958 by the Nebraska Conference of the Methodist Church, in the East Avenue United Brethren Church in York, Nebraska. He served as pastor for churches in the United Methodist denomination for 26 years. Many were parishes that had two or more churches in a particular parish. One that was very interesting was the San Miguel Parish, which included a Presbyterian Church in Telluride, Colorado, a United Methodist Church in Norwood and three United Churches of Christ in Redvale, Nucla and Paradox. He was co-pastor with the Presbyterian Pastor who lived in Telluride and Eldon lived in Nucla, and it was 85 miles from Telluride to Paradox. For preaching, Eldon would be in Nucla and Paradox the first two Sundays of the month and the co-pastor would be in Telluride and Norwood. The Redvale church met with Norwood except for the third Sunday, when the Norwood church would meet with Redvale. The last two Sundays of the month, they would trade, with Eldon preaching At Redvale/Norwood and Telluride, while the co-pastor preached in Nucla and Paradox. On a fifth Sunday, all five churches would meet for a fifth-Sunday Celebration at one of the churches. It was a lot of work with the schedule, but it was his ministry. On April 3, 1982, Eldon was married to MaryBeth Schooley. It was also at this time that Eldon left the United Methodist Church to become a pastor in the United Church of Christ. He served as a U.C.C. Pastor with churches in Collbran, Colorado from September of 1982 to March of 1989 and Barstow, California from April of 1989 to January of 1995, when he and MaryBeth opted for retirement and returned to Alexandria, Nebraska. Even in retirement, Eldon continued to serve where he and MaryBeth were called. They served interim positions in Cambridge and Gladstone and then the District Superintendent of the United Methodist Church asked them to serve the Chester/Hubbell Parish while they could make some changes in their parish set-up, which resulted in putting Chester with Hebron as a Parish. They then served the Hubbell U.M.C., along with the Belvidere U.C.C. They continued to serve the Belvidere U.C.C. for 12 more years before preaching his last sermon on January 11, 2015, 63 years after he gave his first sermon. Eldon was blessed with several opportunities outside of the church. Perhaps the greatest was a trip to the Holy Lands, made possible through the Lily Grant. It was a great experience to see some of the places mentioned in the Bible and to see the places Jesus walked 2000 years ago. Eldon’s years in the ministry were a great journey and God led he and MaryBeth all the way. Eldon was preceded in death by his parents, Floyd & Jesse; son, Floyd Nicholson; sisters, Nelda Wheeler, Bertha Hougnan; and brother, Ivan Nicholson. He is survived by his children, John Nicholson of Las Vegas, Nevada, Eldonna Bingham and husband, Bryan of Lincoln, Nebraska, Kirk Woolman and wife, Tracy of Hagerman, Idaho, James Nicholson and wife, Debbie of Geneva, Nebraska, Mary Jost and husband, Ron of Wahpeton, North Dakota, Eric Woolman and wife, Bobbie of Spring, Texas, Andrew Nicholson of Las Vegas, Nevada, Ava Matarese and husband, Anthony “Butch” Matarese of Cherokee Village, Arkansas, and Ben Nicholson wife, Amity of Alamosa, Colorado; 29 grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren.

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Eldon F. Nicholson

August 29, 1931 - April 30, 2025