Clara Belle Nichols

Belle Nichols passed out of this realm early in the morning on Saturday, August 27, 2016. Clara Belle Nichols was born January 28, 1929, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, to Henry Kenneth West of Annapolis, Nova Scotia, Canada, and Elva Irene Fisher of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Clara’s first decade was spent in Canada during the Great Depression. Clara was the fourth of five children. Her father was harsh, as any Scotsman would be, with his children during that era. Clara married John Henry Lawson February 21, 1948 and had 3 children, Donald Emmett born December 1, 1950, Laura Lynn born August 23, 1953, and Vena Carol, born March 25, 1955. Clara and John divorced October 1, 1972. She married Donald Richard Nichols October 5, 1972. Clara and Don remained married until his death, December 22, 1989. Clara Belle Nichols became a naturalized citizen May 27, 1955. Clara lived in Oklahoma, Japan, California, Rhode Island, and Oregon while married to John. Clara Belle Nichols was a tailor and seamstress for the majority of her life. Clara worked in the Lloyd Center as a tailor for Klopfenstein’s from 1978-1992, when they closed, and Casual Corner from 1992-2002. She made the Portland Rose Festival Queen and Court dresses in 1989, 1990, and 1991. She lived in the same apartment for almost 30 years. She moved in before you had to put a deposit down and have your credit checked. “Grandma patched a pair of my jeans that had a hole in the knee. She cut the patch in the shape of a dolphin. I wore my dolphin pants until they fell apart.” – Ruth Snow “I remember the Mentos-mint candy grandma always had and her great shortbread!” – Curt Armstrong “Well other than being grateful for her teaching me to sew and starting me on oil painting, one of my favorite stories is, one-day Grandma, Tim (my husband) and I were standing in our driveway watching my Dad and Keith playing with some kind of motorized vehicle (can't remember if it was cars or planes). Grandma had something in her hands that needed to be cut. She turned toward Tim and asked to borrow his pocket knife. Tim responded with ‘I don't have a pocket knife.’ Grandma looked him up and down and disgustingly said, ‘What kind of Man are you?’ Needless to say the next day we went pocket knife shopping, Tim's pocket has had a knife in it ever since. “ – Tiffany Aiken “Mom had this idea that we could reupholster some furniture. She had never done it before but wanted this piece done. So, she went to work at this new endevour. We were her little helpers. Mom taught me how to sew how to cook. She had this learn as you go, can do attitude toward most things in life. I admired that in her.” Laura Bergstrom Clara Belle Nichols is preceded in death by her husband, Donald Nichols, her son Donald Lawson, her grandson Keith Lawson, her sisters Lela Cleary, Irene Bell and Artis West, and her brother Ken West. Clara Belle Nichols is survived by her daughters Laura Bergstrom and Vena Lawson, her grandchildren, Amy Hay, Curt Armstrong, Tiffany Aiken, Lowell Wetzel, Ruth Snow, and Althea Bean and 8 great-grandchildren.