Earl Nicholson

Funeral services for Earl T. Nicholson, longtime Gillette native will be held 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 6, 2007, at the Stevenson-Wilson Funeral Home with Pastor Donavon Voigt of the Moorcroft Presbyterian Church officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Interment will follow in the Mt. Pisgah Cemetery with full Military Honors provided by the American Legion Post #42.Mr. Nicholson passed away at his home near Keyhole Lake on January 2, 2007 from natural causes.Earl was born one of seven children, on August 11, 1919 in Gillette, Wyoming the son of Homer and Mae (Dean) Nicholson, residents and homesteaders of Campbell County near Reno Junction. Earl worked for various ranches in the area during and after graduation from Campbell County High School in 1938. He also worked on the construction of highway 387 to Midwest. Earl entered the Army Air Corps in September of 1939, serving nearly three years in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. Mr. Nicholson attained the rank of Master Sergeant in 1941. He was also awarded the Commendation Medal, Asiatic Pacific Service Medal with 5 Bronze Stars, the American Defense Service Medal, the American Theater of Operations Service Medal, the Philippine Liberation Service Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Air Force Longevity Service Award with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters and the Good Conduct Medal Bronze Cluster with 5 Loops. On November 3, 1957 Earl married Mary Ellen Allison in Sedalia, Missouri.. Mr. Nicholson retired from the Air Force with nearly 21 years of active duty service with the rank of Master Sergeant. After his military retirement, Earl returned to Wyoming. He worked for Stockmen?s Motor Company as a car salesman for a number of years. He then moved to Billings, Montana to work for the Billings Gazette. From there, he retired and moved to Miles City, Montana to help care for his mother-in-law. In 1997, Earl moved back to Wyoming near Keyhole Lake with his wife, Mary Ellen, to be closer to family. Earl?s hobbies included hunting, fishing, gardening, spending time with his grandchildren and great grandchildren and visiting with friends and family. He also had a great love for the American Legion Post #42 Baseball team, which he coached and supported during the mid 1960?s. Mr. Nicholson was also a past Lions Club member, past member of Veterans of Foreign Wars, and a member in the American Legion with 48 continuous years of service and holding the position of Post 42 Commander during the 1967 term.Mr. Nicholson is survived by his wife, Mary Ellen of Moorcroft, Wyoming; sons: Tom of Boise, Idaho, Butch (Berti) of Benallio, New Mexico, Ford (Marie) of Tucson, Arizona, Terry (Nick) of Moorcroft, Wyoming; 8 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers and a sister.In lieu of flowers donations are suggested to the Crook County Hospice. Memorials and condolences may be sent in Earl?s name in care of Stevenson-Wilson Funeral Home, 210 W. 5th Street, Gillette, Wyoming 82716 or via the internet at www.stevensonwilson.com.