Hamilton and Mary Nichols Family Papers

Collection

Identifier: A-0376

Staff Only

Content Description

The collection consists of a letter written by Mary Louise Fant concerning a pamphlet about racial integration by one T. G. Tilford, a magnetic record disc with unkown audio, several pieces of World War One memorabilia including position maps, a regiment book, a souvenir folder. and a song booklet. There are also forty-eight postcards addressed to various people, two postcard books from France, seven tintype photographs, two large photographs, and twelve World War One souvenir photographs. There is also one bible, one prayer book, two books for Freemasons, an investment pamphlet, a writing desk book, and a Chinese-English Dictionary.

Dates

Event: Donate 10/25/2021
Creation: 1899-1963

Conditions Governing Access

Open for research

Biographical / Historical

Hamilton James Nichols Jr. (1924-2013) was born in Houston, Texas to Hamilton James Nichols Sr. and Miriam Mary Bernstein. Mary Louise Fant (1928-2022) was born in Palacios, Texas to Clayton McLellan Fant (1886-1930) and Mittie Lee. Hamilton and Mary married in 1948 and had three children. Mary's parents, Clayton and Mittie died early in her life, leaving her orphaned with her older sister. Clayton served in World War One in the Graves Registration Service Unit 305 and died in an accident in 1930.

Urie Emerson Fant (1890-1963), whom much of the collection concerns, was Clayton's brother and also served in World War One, in the 360th Infantry Brigade SUpply Company. He married three times to Frankye Beatrise Fowler in 1921, Fannie Mae De Anna in 1936, and to Evelyn Campbell in 1952.

Margaret Lillian Fant (1888-1953), Clayton's sister, and her husband John H. Ellison (1875-1958) are the subjects of much of the collection and were Mary's aunt and uncle. John often shortened his own name to J. H. Ellison and Margaret was often referred to as Mrs. J. H. Ellison or Lillian Fant Ellison.