Obituary of Ellese Oliver Nickles

Cedar Grove Lela Ellese Oliver Nickles, born on February 21, 1919, died on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2011 at Durham Regional Hospital, Durham N.C. Mrs. Nickles was a resident of Cedar Grove and Brookshire Nursing Center in Hillsborough, N. C. Ellese was the youngest daughter of Thomas L. Oliver and Lela Crisp Oliver of Cedar Grove, N. C. Surviving are her daughter, Alice Nickles Cain, son-in-law Tony M. Cain and grandaughter, C. Morgan Cain of Hillsborough, N. C. and son, Curtis A. "Ozzie" Nickles, daughter-in-law, Ann J. Gerhardt, and her granddaughters, Alison L. and Laura Ellese Nickles of Chapel Hill, N. C.. She is also survived by her nieces Evelyn Lloyd of Hillsborough, Joanne Mathis of Durham, Nancy Oliver of Cedar Grove, and Susan Taylor of Mooresville. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Nickles was preceded in death by her husband, Curtis Nickles, and son Sidney Thomas Nickles; her brothers, Charlie Crisp Oliver and Robert Warren Oliver, and sisters, Helen Oliver Carr, Pauline Oliver Lloyd, Sallie Mae Oliver Ligon and Irene Oliver Pender. Mrs. Nickles graduated from Elon College with a degree in secretarial science and was employed in various secretarial positions by Orange County, the Orange County School System, and Piedmont Electric Membership Corporation in Hillsborough, retiring as Secretary to General Manager Earl J. Ross in 1984. She was a lifelong member of Eno Presbyterian Church in Cedar Grove N. C. A graveside memorial service will be held at Eno Presbyterian Church at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 27. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed to the Eno Presbyterian Church Cemetery Fund, 6409 Efland-Cedar Grove Road, Cedar Grove, N. C. 27231. Ellese lived her life in genuine faith in God and with conviction. She was a caring, graceful and thankful person who inspired many of us with her depth of character and heart-warming smile. Her death on Thanksgiving Day marks the end of a full life lived well. Her family and friends will always treasure and be thankful for her devotion, inspiration and steadfast love.