B. Wade Nichols

B. Wade Nichols, 96, of Homedale, passed away on Thursday, March 21, 2013 at home of natural causes. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, March 27, 2013 at the Friends Community Church, Homedale. Interment will follow at the Marsing-Homedale Cemetery. Wade was born at Falk Store, Idaho on June 28, 1916 to Walter Wade and Mary Pattison Nichols. Walter and Mary farmed at Roswell near Parma Idaho. Wade was the second of five children. As the oldest son it fell to Wade to become the provider for the family when at the age of 14 his father died from a broken neck as a result of a farming accident. At the age of 23 Wade met and married the love of his life, Marie Wallace. They married immediately after Marie’s high school graduation and remained “Joined at the Heart” for the next 73 years. Wade and Marie started their married life working as general laborers on a sheep ranch. While working at that ranch, Wade contracted Typhoid Fever from drinking contaminated water and nearly died. As a result of his illness he was unable to serve in WWII. Wade and Marie spent the war years at Cordero Mine near McDermitt, Nevada where he worked building bunk houses, mills and other infrastructure necessary to the operations of the nation’s largest mercury mine. While living at the Cordero Mine Wade and Marie had two sons, Kenneth Dean in March 1942 and Glenn Wade in August, 1945. In 1948 Wade and Marie moved to Homedale, where Wade supported his family by working as a self-employed carpenter and building contractor. Over their years in Homedale Wade built and remodeled hundreds of homes, farms, ranch buildings and businesses. He left a physical legacy of building not only in the Homedale and Wilder areas but on ranches in Jordan Valley, Succor Creek and Arock areas of Eastern Oregon. Wade served on the City Council in Homedale and Marie worked at Morfitt Stores and the Idaho Department Store. They were active members of the Friends Community Church. They were fixtures in the community as evidenced by the huge turnout for their 70th Wedding Anniversary in 2009. Wade was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, two brothers and just about every member of his early peer group. He is survived by his wife, Marie, sons, Ken (Wanda) and Glenn (Beckie), multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren and his younger sister, Nadine Raetz of Oregon. A viewing will be held from 5:00-7:00 PM on Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at Flahiff Funeral Chapel, Homedale. Service Information