Mary Ann Nicholson

Mary Ann (Monks) Nicholson of Fort Klamath, Oregon, died on July 18, 2020.  Mary was born in Tomah, Wisconsin one of five children born to Rosella (Dietz) and Joseph Monks. Her family moved to the Klamath Agency near Fort Klamath, Oregon, when she was a child.  She graduated from Chiloquin High School in 1947 and obtained a B.S. from Marylhurst University in 1950, where she met several life-long friends.  She married Elmore Earl Nicholson in 1951, and they settled in Fort Klamath where they raised their children.  Mary worked in the hospital at the Klamath Agency, taught grade school for a time and later served as the Postmaster of the Fort Klamath Post Office.   Her kitchen table was a frequent stop for drop-ins for home-made pie and coffee, and there was always an extra plate for last-minute dinner invitees.

Mary was a longtime member of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Chiloquin, where she served as the organist for decades and as a member of the Altar Society.  She was also active in the Fort Klamath C.I. Club.  She was dearly loved.   Her family, friends, and community will miss her kindness, gentle wit, good humor, and willingness to lend a hand or ear.  

She is survived by her children Teresa Trantham and her husband Todd, Martin Nicholson and his wife Beth, Julie Nicholson’s husband Larry Keener, Mary Lou Nicholson, and Virginia Nicholson and her husband Robert Ettorre; grandchildren Jessica Trantham, Irene Billings and her husband Garrett, Earl Nicholson and his wife Vanessa, Kevin Nicholson and his wife Leslie, Emily Nicholson, Mary Beth Nicholson, Sophia Nicholson-Keener, Simone Nicholson-Keener, Lauren Hammerich and her husband Robert, Hannah Thompson, and Mark Thompson; great-grandchildren Caileigh Nicholson, Isabelle Nicholson, Chase Hammerich and Clark Billings; and her brother Jerry Monks of Spokane, Washington.  She was preceded in death by her daughter Julie Ann Nicholson, her husband Elmore Earl Nicholson, and her siblings John Monks, Robert Monks, and Catherine Monks. 

A funeral mass will be held on August 1, 2020, at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Klamath Falls at 11:00 a.m. The rosary will be held immediately prior at 10:30 a.m. Due to Covid-19 virus concerns, there will not be a reception and the family understands and appreciates prayers in lieu of attendance.  A separate burial service will occur at a future time. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in her memory to the Mt. Carmel Church of Chiloquin, C.I. Club of Fort Klamath, High Desert Hospice, or a charity of your choice.