...being, in a sense, the printed voice of the Nickerson Family Association

“Nickerson House.”

Signature ofWilliam1 Nickerson

SPRING 2016 Newsletter

The Nickerson Family Association, Inc.

Explore Your Roots During History Weekend!On Saturday, June 18 we will host a Family Genealogy Day in conjunction withChatham History Days Open House. Caleb House artisans will be on hand from

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. demonstrating their Colonial arts. See page 3 for details.

Discover Caleb House’s Forgotten Arts This Season!Love open hearth cooking? Heirloom gardening? Colonial carpentry?

Explore the many programs offered at theCaleb Nickerson House this year. Calendar on page 3.

Hear Nickerson stories behind The Finest Hours!Nickersons reveal the inside story on the new Disney film shot in Chatham. See pages 12 and 13.

Found!From the pages of history: A 1921 letter from genealogist J. Gardner Bartlett researching Nickerson roots in England.

Visit www.nickersonassoc.com to read the letter in its entirety.

Plan to Attend the NFA Reunion Sept. 9 to 11 in Falmouth!Join us as we explore the history of beautiful Falmouth. From walking tours to sunset harbor cruises, this reunion is sure to be memorable. See pages 4 and 5.Click here to register: http://nickersonassoc.com

Calling All Samuel Line Descendants!If you are descended from the Samuel line, we want to hear from you. Do you have genealogical information, photographs,

Bible inscriptions? Search your files and please let us know if you can help by contacting Nancy Nickerson Coreyat nancyroots@msn.com. See pages 10 and 11 for genealogy volunteer profiles.

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FriendsKimberly HerberDennis LangleyJahneene M. NickersonLin Webber

SupportersLois Mowry Compo, in memory of Esther Nickerson AhlinDavid M. Nickerson

DonorsPam BaileyMr. and Mrs. Thomas Snow, in memory of Carl Nickerson

Thank You! Recent donors to the 2015-16

“We’re Fixin’ Up the Houses” Capital Campaign.*Grand BenefactorWilliam J. Nickerson Jr. & Joy Nickerson

ConservatorsKen & Valinda Bilbrey, in memory of Roger Alan (Pete) NickersonCarolyn Granston, in memory of Andrew E. Granston, son of Arnold & Edna Nickerson Granston

PreservationistsEdward M. Grotkowski, in memory of Dorothy Nickerson GrotkowskiPhyllis Nickerson Power, in memory of Willard H. Nickerson

Friends PlusJames Pafford, in memory of grandfather John Martin Nickerson

*Donations received after 19 Nov. 2015

Welcome 1st Canadian Board Member Debra SweetmanWe welcome to the Board of Directors Debra Sweetman of Canada, our first international board member. Many of you are already familiar with Debbie as she accompanied the Nickersons on the tour to Norfolk, England and later to the Chicago reunion at the Driehaus Museum. Many of you also know Debbie’s 11-year-old son Davis Stanko, who often travels with her and was most lately at the reunion in Plymouth last fall.Debbie’s home is Courtice, Ontario, Canada which is part of the Municipality of Clarington and is just east of Toronto between Oshawa and Bowmanville.She is a lawyer whose practice mainly consists of real estate, business law, wills and estates. Debbie also taught business law courses at Durham College as well as a real estate law course for the Ontario Real Estate Association. She was the President of the Whitby Chamber of Commerce and served for several years as Vice President of the Oshawa Chamber of Commerce. Debbie has been an Assessor for the Business Awards of Excellence for Durham Region. She was the first female member of the Whitby Rotary Club and now she is excited to be the NFA’s first Canadian board member!Debbie is a member of numerous local, national, and international genealogical societies and is the Administrator for the Sweetman DNA Project. Debbie is particularly interested in the research that has come to light on the Nickersons in Norfolk and the origin of the Nickerson name. She has learned in her research is that Allen was the married name and not the birth name of Bridget(t) (COCKE) NICKERSON’S mother Margaret. Debbie’s brick wall is her ancestor Phalyphal READE, wife of Benjamin NICKERSON.

Caleb House: before Caleb House: after

Open Wednesdays, May 25 to September 219 a.m. to 1 p.m.

See what life in the early 19th century was like as you tour the historic Caleb Nickerson House, a classic

Cape with period kitchen gardens and a post & beam out-house. Early craft demonstrations weekly.

Sunday, May 1:Beehive Oven BakingNoon to 3 p.m. Join open hearth cook Maureen Leavenworth as she fires up the beehive oven for a day of baking 18th and 19th cen-tury recipes. Bring a dish to cook. Come at 9 a.m. to see what it takes to fire up the oven or come at noon ready to bake. Please call Maureen at 508-255-8821 for reservations.

Saturday, June 18:Chatham History Days Open HouseSponsored by Historic Chatham. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. artisans from the Caleb Nickerson House Forgotten Arts Programs will be on hand to demonstrate Colonial crafts and to answer questions about clothing, kitchen life, gardening and early woodworking and home building. Tour this classic Cape to see life in the early 19th century. This is also Family Genealogy Day, a time to explore your Nickerson roots in our genealogy center. Come and delve into your family genealogy and enjoy the at-mosphere of our living history campus.

June 25 through July 31:Woodworking for WomenThis is a series of classes for women who always wanted to try woodworking but never had the opportunity. Using traditional hand tools, each student completes a project to take home. Taught by resident artisan Richard Noyes, these classes run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and are limited to five students. Reservations are required. For more in-formation contact Richard at 508-255-9810 or email him at woodworkingforwomen@gmail.com. June 25: Build a classic country bench or a

small stool. The large version works well in front of a couch or in your mudroom. Fee $65 plus $15 for materials.

July 9: Build a timeless Shaker hanging shelf that fits any décor. Fee $65 plus $15 for materials.

July 16: Build a candle box. With its decorative slid-ing lid this is great storage for remotes or CDs. Fee $60 plus $10 for materials.

July 25: Build flower boxes. From simple to elab-orate, flower boxes have dressed up New England homes for the past two centuries. Fee $60 plus $15 for materials.

July 30 & 31: New this year—build a six-board chest during a two-day class. This classic blanket chest is sized to fit your home. Fee $130 plus $30 for materials.

Sunday, October 9Harvest Celebration10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Join the Caleb Nickerson House artisans as we harvest the summer’s crops and serve up a sumptu-ous buffet cooked on the open hearth by Maureen Leav-enworth. Period gardener Anne Firth will be on hand to explain methods of drying and storing the harvest. Come early to help with the harvest and food preparation. The buffet is $20 per person and served from noon to 2. Please call Maureen at 508-255-8821 for reservations.

Sunday, December 413th Annual Holiday Hearthside Open House1 to 4 p.m. Ring in the season with what has become one of Chatham’s most beloved holiday events. Enjoy refresh-ments made from 19th century recipes, the warmth of the open hearth fires and music of the period.

Caleb Nickerson House Calendar of Events, 2016

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What could be more fun that exploring Cape Cod with your Nickerson cousins?During this fall’s “Togethering” on September 9 and 10 the Nickersons will visit the lovely Town of Falmouth, the second largest town on Cape Cod. And on Sunday, September 11 we will return to our home base in Chatham at the Nickerson Family Association campus.Here’s a roundup of activities we have arranged to date:On Friday afternoon do-cents from the Museums on the Green will lead us on a walking tour of Falmouth. We will meet at the Historical Society of Falmouth on the Village Green, one of seven National Historic Districts in town. This is a lovely old New England area of historic houses and buildings. From here we will see some of the highlights of Falmouth including the statue of Falmouth’s famous daughter Katharine Lee Bates (1859-1929) who wrote the words to “America the Beautiful.”At 5:30 p.m. we will board The Pied Piper (the Fal-mouth-Edgartown ferry) and cruise for two hours through

the Elizabeth Islands and across NantucketSound to Martha’s Vineyard. As we returnthe sun will be settingover Nobska PointLight in Woods Hole. Today the 1876 light is a popular wedding destination!

Please note:Because The Pied Piper is limited to 75, we strongly urge you to register early to avoid disappointment!The next morning, Saturday, September 10, we will begin our day with coffee and pastries at the waterfront Flying Bridge Restaurant in Falmouth Harbor. The har-bor views from here are spectacular! After registration we will hold our annual business meeting with talks by cousin Brian Nickerson on Nobska Light, and Ramona Peters on the Wampanoag Tribe.Lunch will follow, with dining either inside or out on the deck above the harbor.Saturday afternoon we will be free to explore the many sights of Falmouth on our own. An interesting area is the

Village of Woods Hole, once a whaling port. Here you might visit the Woods Hole Science Aquarium, the Woods Hole Historical Museum, or the world-famous Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, the premiere research facility “at the frontiers of ocean science.” If you care to work on your genealogy, mosey over to the Old Burial Ground off Mill Road where gravestones date back 300 years. Nearby is Great Hill, the highest spot of land on Vineyard Sound, which offers a spectacular ocean view and quaint gingerbread cottages. Saturday evening we will dine at the Sea Crest Beach Resort. If you are looking for a place to stay in Falmouth, you can’t beat Sea Crest. It is right on the beach with views across Buzzards Bay. (It is also one of the few ho-tels on Cape Cod to offer multiple banquet and meeting rooms.) After a cocktail hour we will enjoy a three-course dinner. Our evening speaker will be Dick Flegenheimer, a captain of The Lulu, a Woods Hole Oceanographic Insti-tute ship which transported the undersea research subma-rine Alvin around the world. (Alvin was later famous for its role in finding the wreck of The Titanic in September 1985.)

On Sunday, we will return to our home in Chatham. “Nickerson Sunday” services will be held at 10 a.m. at the First Congregational Church of Chatham founded by our ancestor William Nickerson. After church we will enjoy our annual cookout on the

grounds of Nickerson Genealogy Research Center and the Caleb Nickerson House. Maureen Leavenworth will work her magic on the open hearth with a colonial treat for us. Lunch will be served at noon by caterer Glen Morrell.The registration form will be mailed in June as well as posted on our website at www.nick-ersonassoc.com. We will mail maps and directions after you register. Updates to the week-end will be added to the website as they are confirmed.

Questions may be addressed to Reunion CoordinatorLin Webber: linswatercolors@gmail.com

or 610-942-3234.

Nickersons look forward to exploring Falmouth Sept. 9-to-11

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Photos of Falmouth by Bob Webber

Museum on the Green

Nobska Lighthouse

Congregational Church, Falmouth

Maureen Leavenworth

REUNION SCHEDULEFriday, September 91 p.m.: Walking tour of Falmouth 5:30-to-7:30 p.m.: Welcome party aboard The Pied Piper, Falmouth HarborPlease note: The boat’s capacity is 75 so if you want to go, register early!

Saturday, September 10 9-to-10 a.m.: Registration and coffee hour, Flying Bridge Restaurant, Falmouth Harbor10 a.m. to noon: Annual meeting featuring a talk by Brian Nickerson, president of Friends of Nobska Light, about the past and future of Nobska Lighthouse. Also Ramona Peters, the historic preservation officer of the Wampanoag Tribe, will serve as our main speaker.Noon to 1 p.m.: Lunch Afternoon: Free time to visit sites of interest in Falmouth and Woods Hole 5-to-6 p.m.: Cocktail hour, Sea Crest Beach Resort, North Falmouth6-to-7 p.m.: Dinner with evening speaker Capt. Dick Flegenheimer

Sunday, September 11 10 a.m.: Nickerson Sunday at the First Congregational Church of Chatham Noon: Picnic/Cookout at Nickerson Family Association, ChathamSunday afternoon is free to conduct research in the NFA’s genealogical files

Brian Nickerson and Nobska LightWhile we are in Falmouth, we will be ably guided by cousin Brian Nickerson who recently became President of Friends of Nobska Light and will talk to us about the light.Nobska Light was featured on the front page of the Cape Cod Times on March 10 as the nonprofit Friends of Nobska Light and the town take control of the operation and maintenance of the iconic light. In June 2014 the U.S. Coast Guard began the process of selling the light and the keeper’s residence which have fallen into disrepair. In fact, under the new arrangement, the Coast Guard will retain ownership of the light and license it to the town and the nonprofit.The light was established in 1829 with the current light dating to 1876. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. The Friends plan to open the lighthouse and its grounds to the public. “There will be greater access from here on in than there has been in the past,” Nickerson said. The Friends plan to embark on a $4 million fundraising campaign to renovate and maintain the light.

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Webber watercolor to be raffled!Lin Webber has painted

a gorgeous watercolor of Nobska Lightthat will be raffled during the reunion.Tickets are $2 each or three for $5.

All proceeds go to the NFA.

Gingerbread replica of Caleb House

An Update on the “Fixin’ Up the Houses” Campaign By Edmond Rhodes Nickerson

Thanks to the overwhelmingly generous support of our membership, we were able tomake substantial progress on many necessary projects at our NFA campus in Chathamport.The re-shingling of the “Nickerson House” ell and the re-shingling of the rear and gableends of the c.1827 Caleb Nickerson House were successfully accomplished and will makethose elevations weather-tight for years to come. Additionally, foundation grants werereceived toward the work already accomplished. The grant application pending before theTown of Chatham will help enable the re-shingling of the front and other gable end of theCaleb Nickerson House Museum, replace selected window sash in the Caleb House,and repaint the exterior trim.In all, it requires a lot of work and resources to keep on top-- and ahead of-- maintenanceand repairs to keep your NFA properties in pristine and welcoming condition.Contributions are always welcome to our Building & Grounds Fund, and may bemailed to NFA, Inc. P.O. Box 296, North Chatham, MA 02650.From the entire Board of Directors, a warm and heartfelt “thank you” for yourgenerous support! Please visit us soon and often!

Chatham committee approves $25,000 grant to NFAChatham’s Community Preservation Committee has approved our request for $25,000for fixing up the Caleb Nickerson House.Last December Edmond Rhodes Nickerson and Debra Lawless wrote an applicationfor a Community Preservation Award for repairs to the Caleb House. The CommunityPreservation Act (CPA) is a three percent tax which is added to property tax. Townsmust vote on how to use this additional tax. In 2003, CPA funds made possiblesaving and moving the Caleb Nickerson House.Ron Nickerson presented the grant application to the Chatham HistoricalCommission for its review and that committee wrote a letter supporting the requestIn early January, Ron appeared before the Community Preservation Committee(CPC) to pitch the application. He reports that “they were particularly pleasedthat NFA members had raised $25,000 on our own and that we were requestinga matching grant.”All CPC requests are subject to approval by voters at the Town Annual Meetingin May. Normally, town voters concur with CPC recommendations. So, barringunforeseen circumstances, we can look forward to receiving the money on July 1.

“We’re Fixin’ Up

The Houses!”

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2016 Membership Reportby Ron Nickerson

Hello cousins! We are pleased to report that our Association continues to attract new members from all over the country. Partly due to our increased online visibility and services, we are well-positioned to continue this heartening trend. In addition, long-standing members who faithfully renew their memberships frequently include generous monetary gifts which are most gratefully received. Life Memberships are still an attractive option for those who have chosen to make a long-term commitment to our family. Finally, gift memberships for children and grandchildren ensure that our Nickerson legacy is carried forward into the future.Thanks to all of you who continue to make our Association healthy and strong by your loyal and steadfast support. As we go forward together, our future looks especially bright.If you haven’t already paid your 2016 dues, now would be a great time to do so. Go to www.nickersonassoc.com. Under “Membership” print and mail the form with a check to the NFA. Easier still, go into the store and renew through Paypal.

We Welcome Nick Cousins!Richard and Ann Anderson, FLGail Blankenau, NEJanis Brailey, CABrian Brown, MAAngela Dial, FLAina Dodge, TXPamela Eddy, VACraig and Sue Eldredge, MADawn Faulkner, NJNancy Flores, MARobert Fratus, MA

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Donna Gray-Williams, FLArthur Griffin, MDJoy Hathaway, MACynthia Hockins, INGary Jones, NJAdelheid Langenfeld, MNRobin Lowell, MEMartha McNeill, WAEva Newell, CTRobert and Theresa Newell, CT

Charles Nickerson, MADavid Nickerson, MAEric Nickerson, ON, CanadaJohn Nickerson, MARichard Nickerson, MOSusan Olin, MADorothy Reed, FLLindsay Spooner, NJRobert and Lorraine Steadman, MARichard and Judith Tarr, FL

Roots and Branchesfor a hardware store. She attended Kent State University to prepare her for her long career as a CPA which began in Akron, Oh. In the early 1960s she moved to California to be with her Great Aunt Hallie. She continued work-ing, and eventually became a partner in Oppenheim and Dixon. There she met her client and friend Allan Kolsky with whom she later worked in real estate holdings. She worked out of her home and, shortly before her death, turned her CPA practice over to her niece Jodi Behrman.She is survived by her brother, Don Nickerson of Mani-to, Ill., her sister and brother-in-law, Marcia and Norman Howard of Sun City, Az., and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.A memorial service was held in March in Los Angeles, California.

Jack Earl Nickerson (Jack, Earl, Gilbert, Eli, Constant, Seth, Ebenezer, Thomas, William, William) of Missoula, Mt., died on April 16, 2015, of natural causes at age 90. He was born a son of Earl and Ethel Nickerson and grew up on a farm until the dustbowl drove the family back to Whitewater, Wisc. Jack joined the U.S. Army in 1943 and fought in the Rhineland and Central Europe campaigns. He later worked as a high school physics teacher in Idaho Falls, Id., where he was a “strong advocate for educa-tion.” He is survived by his children Bart, Ross, Aran and Peggy, eight grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. His wife Anne (Groskurth) predeceased him. He was buried in the Missoula City Cemetery with military honors.

New TwigCongratulations to Brian and Ruth Smith on the birth of their grandson, Henry Allan Sylvan. The newcomer is the son of Brian and Ruth’s daughter Jacquelyn and her husband Martin Anders Sylvan. Henry was born on Jan. 28, weighing in at eight pounds, 13 ounces. His grandparents are “ecstatic.”

Fallen Branches Edmund J. Nickerson, a former president of the NFA, passed away on March 7, 2016 in Port Charlotte, Fla. Born in 1923 to Theodore W. and Lillian M. Nickerson in South Chatham, he attended Chatham schools. He received the Purple Heart in WWII. He married Janice G. Lapham in 1946 and leaves three daughters: Lynne Hopper, Lois Wilkerson and Lana Nickerson, five grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and six great-great grandchildren, a sister Diana Lapham, and a surrogate son, Jeffrey Condino. A memorial celebration was held April 23 in Hyannis.Jerilee “Jeri” Nickerson, a longtime resident of PacificPalisades who was very active in organizations in the community, passed away in Coweta, Ok. on Feb. 7. Born in Massillon, Ohio in 1936 to the late Donald and Frances Nickerson, Jeri was raised in Ohio with her younger siblings Marcia and Don.She began her career at age 16 working as a bookkeeper

Nicks around the globeDear Nickerson Cousins:

Spring has “sprung” here in Nebraska and I am watching major improvements occurring in my yard. The spring blizzard we received two days ago has not hampered the progress on my patio, retaining wall, raised flower bed, new fencing and gate and raised garden complete with solar lighthouse. Yes, really, a solar light house in Nebraska! Halfway across the country in Chatham work is progressing on the improvements and needed repairs to the Nickerson Genealogy Center and the Historic Caleb Nickerson house thanks to the continued generosity of our members. Again, I thank you for your support!

Looking back at the challenges I spoke of in September at our great reunion in Plymouth in regards to shaping our future by preserving our heritage, Edmond Rhodes Nickerson, ably aided by Debra Lawless, has been actively pursuing an “office manager” to assist the volunteers at the Nick House to scan and digitize the mountains of genealogical information that arrives daily at the research center. Organizing and preserving these materials are paramount in our endeavor to preserve our heritage for future generations of Nickerson descendants.

In regard to discovering new knowledge of our roots volunteers working towards our next publication, the descendants of Samuel Nickerson, are energized and moving forward with great strides. Led by our genealogist Gail Blankenau, research is progressing. While Brian Smith, Bill Grant, Charlie Wheeler, Harry Hadaway, Kim Herber, Brenda Hensley and Linda Blais are busy researching and gathering genealogical information, they are aided by DeDe and Edward Nickerson and Debra Lawless in ferreting out documents and information specifically located on the Cape. I am impressed with this group and am in awe of their knowledge and expertise. More volunteers are always welcome and we are especially inter-ested in any photographs, documents, and memorabilia from the descendants of Samuel Nickerson for this project. I can be reached at nancyroots@msn.com.

A word from President Nancy Nickerson Corey…

2015-16OFFICERS

President:NANCY COREY

McCook, NE

Vice President:RON NICKERSON

Chatham, MA

Secretary/Treasurer:JUDY NEEDHAMSouth Yarmouth, MA

Recording Secretary:LIN WEBBERGlenmore, PA

Membership Chair:RON NICKERSON

Chatham, MA

Genealogy Chair:NANCY COREY

McCook, NE

Endowment Fund Chair:DR. D. SCOTT NICKERSON

Big Horn, WY

.

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Moving on to sharing our resources with the world, Jim Nickerson continues to work on our website at http://nickersonassoc.com and con-tinues to update it with current Nickerson Family Association information including photos, blogs, membership information, reunion details, Caleb Nickerson house calendar of events, etc. And don’t forget to check out the online store to purchase your Nickerson shirts, books, etc. and visit the genealogy database, a benefit of your NFA membership. If you need a username and password contact me at nancyroots@msn.com and I’ll be happy to help you. Also don’t forget to check out our Facebook page, check out our YouTube channel and look for us on Twitter! Talking about the world, Debbie Sweetman has recently joined the Board of Directors and networking in Canada will be one of many benefits the NFA will re-ceive with her service! And, we have been contacted by Michelle Nickerson of Australia who is researching her Nickerson line that goes directly from England to Australia. Hopefully we will soon have our first Australian member!

Looking ahead to upcoming events, Chatham History weekend is coming up on Saturday, June 18 and the NFA will participate by opening the Caleb Nickerson House from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on this day, as well as hosting a Family Genealogy Day at the Nickerson House. If you have the opportunity to attend this event you will not be disappointed.

Our annual reunion will be held in Falmouth on September 9-to-11 and should present another great time! Lin Webber and her reunion com-mittee have outdone themselves again. Look for details elsewhere in this newsletter and on the website. I plan to reserve my spot soon, and hope to see everyone there. If you have not attended a reunion, or haven’t attended one recently you are really missing out on a great time and meeting your Nickerson cousins!

Lastly I can’t thank the Board of Directors enough for their continued dedication to our Family Association and all the assistance they have given me, namely: Ron Nickerson, Edmond Nickerson, Judy Needham, Ken Needham, Jinny Devine, Lin Webber, Pam Bailey, Jim Nickerson, Bill Grant and Debbie Sweetman. You guys are the best!

We look forward to seeing you in Falmouth at Reunion 2016!

2015-16DIRECTORS

PAM BAILEYPalm Bay, FL

VIRGINIA DEVINEDennis, MA

WILLIAM GRANTSnohomish, WA

KEN NEEDHAMSouth Yarmouth, MA

EDMOND RHODES NICKERSONSouth Dennis, MA

JAMES NICKERSONCromwell, IN

DEBRA SWEETMANOntario, Canada

,Nickerson Family Association, Inc.

Mailing Address:Post Office Box 296

North Chatham, MA 02650508-945-6086

Street Address:1107 Orleans Road (Route 28)North Chatham, Massachusetts

Phone:508-945-6086

E-mail:wmnick1107@gmail.com

www.nickersonassoc.com

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Introducing our genealogy volunteers!By Nancy Nickerson Corey

A DIVERSE GROUP OF NINE VOLUNTEERS who hail from every area of the country-- from the northeast to the Carolinas, to the southwest and then to the northwest-- is working on the Samuel project, researching the descendancy of Samuel Nickerson, son of William and Anne (Busby) Nickerson. Some are employed, while others are retired. We have former military personnel, computer programmers, and a technical writer as well as two NFA past presidents as part of our capable and enthused group.

BRIAN SMITH, a past president of the NFA, was born and raised in Bayonne, N.J. and has lived in Saylorsburg, Penn. for the past 21 years with his wife Ruth. They have one daughter, Jacquelyn (Smith) Sylvan and were recently blessed with a grandson, Henry. Brian served in the U.S. Air Force from 1967 to 1971 as an Air Traffic Controller, reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant. He graduated from Adelphi University in 1977 with a B.A. in Communications and Management. Brian retired in 2009 after 40 years of service with the Federal Government, first as an Air Traf-fic Controller with the Department of Transportation and finally as a Division Chief (Web Development) for the U.S. Army. His interest in genealogy began in 1991 when he took over a family genealogy started by his late cousin Evelyn Smith. This leisure activity grew into a passionate hobby and resulted in memberships in many genealogical organizations, NFA among them. He has 17 documented Nickerson lines and descends from 10 Mayflower passen-gers. Brian participated with other NFA members in the writing of The Nickerson Family, Part 5: Nicholas in 2012. Brian served on the NFA Board of Directors from 2006-2013, as president from 2012-2013. He holds memberships in the following genealogical societies: NFA, New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), Shelburne County Genealogical Society (Nova Scotia Canada), General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD).

HARRY HADAWAY of Bow, N.H. has been research-ing his genealogy for about 27 years. Born in Plymouth, Mass., and knowing that his great-great-grandmother was Hannah Barns Bradford, he decided to find out if he had any other Mayflower passenger ancestors besides Gov. Wil-liam Bradford. This curiosity has led to finding approxi-mately 5,000 of his ancestors including 21 passengers on the Mayflower. Harry is a member of the N.H. Chapter of the Mayflower Society and the NFA. His great-grandmother Rebecca Nickerson was born in 1855 in Chatham. He de-scends from William’s son William. The published Nicker-son books have been a great help to Harry in his research and he appreciates the opportunity to contribute to the Samuel book.

BRENDA NICKERSON HENSLEY (Earl11, Elwood10, Charles9, Charles8, William7, Shaber6, Shaber5, Joshua4, Samuel3, Samuel2, William1) lives in Pinnacle, N.C. She began doing genealogy in 1979, and has been addicted to it ever since. She became interested in this project, as it is part of her Nickerson line. She says she finds it exciting to find out about the lives of the people she is researching, whether or not they are of her direct line. She is thrilled to be a part of this project.

CHARLIE WHEELER’s interest in genealogy started in 1976 when he took time off in his relative youth and spent three months traveling the back roads of West Virginia (his father’s ancestral grounds) and coastal Virginia and North Carolina (his mother’s). Soon after that he married Karen Nickerson and put his research and papers in a box in the garage. Karen’s mother was born and raised in Sawston, England, just 66 miles from Norwich, so the next step was gathering information on her and Karen’s father, Harlan Nickerson, who served in England in WWII. Fast forward to 2011 when Karen discovered the NFA; they were on our trip to Norwich and the rest is history. Charlie and Karen live in Santa Fe, N.M.

KIM HERBER lives in Seattle with her husband and two college-age kids, and works for the Boeing Company as a technical writer. She first got interested in genealogy about five years ago mainly to research her paternal German from Russia grandparents and other recent immigrant ancestors. As she learned more about those new Americans, she was surprised to find that she is also part of such an old American family. Her Nickerson line begins with William and Anne’s son William Emery III and ends with her maternal grand-mother Grace Nickeson [yes, the “R” dropped out] Bateman (1911-2003). She has benefited from all the Nickerson research that has been done by so many people over so many years. She says it’s a pleasure to work on the Samuel book and give back a bit to her deep American roots.

EDWARD J. NICKERSON (a Hull, Mass. native) and his wife DeDe moved from Hull to East Sandwich in Dec. 2014. They attended the Nickerson Gathering in Plymouth in 2015 and learned that the “Samuel Project” is about Edward’s direct descendants so they became even more interested. They learned his great-great grandmother Rebecca “Bessie” Vaughn Nickerson was born in Sand-wich (buried in Hull with her son Clarence Vaughn) and that Gilbert Clarence Nickerson of Cotuit and his son Elbridge [of Cotuit and Nantucket] are buried at Moss-wood Cemetery in Cotuit-- approximately eight miles from where they live in Sandwich!

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Jeannette McKay and Ron Nickersonwith Plymouth 400 license plates

…volunteers!Edward is the son of Donald Smith Nickerson (Hull, career police officer), grandson of Vaughn Nickerson (Hull), great-grandson of Clarence Vaughn Nickerson (moved from Cotuit to Hull in 1897 to teach school, became superintendent of schools and ultimately was a member of Mass. Congress) and great-great grandson of Gilbert Clarence Nickerson of Cotuit.Edward is one of nine Nickerson children. His mother Katherine (McGrath) Nickerson is 89 and lives in Wey-mouth. Edward and DeDe have become indispensable to genealogist Gail Blankenau due to their location on the Cape and their enthusiasm in gathering documents of not only Edward’s ancestors, but also for all the Samuel descendants that resided in their immediate vicinity.BILL GRANT, another NFA past president, lives in Snohomish, Wash. Bill also participated with other NFA members in writing The Nickerson Family, Part 5: Nicholas in 2012.LINDA BLAIS of Des Moines, Wash. has been of great assistance in both researching genealogical materials for the Samuel line and developing templates her fellow volun-teers are using to record the information they are gathering.Gail and I cannot thank these volunteers enough for all the time and effort they are putting into this project. Debra Lawless, known as Gail’s “go to person” on the Cape, also assists with gathering documents held at the Nickerson House and the Barnstable County Courthouse.Please, if you know Brian, Harry, Brenda, Charlie, Kim, Edward, DeDe, Bill, Linda and Debra, give them your thanks as well. The work they are doing is of great value to all Nickersons! If you have experience doing genea-logical research I hope you will consider joining us on this project. You can contact me at nancyroots@msn.com.

Mayflower License Plateis the newest thing!

Many Nickersons are also descendants of the passengers of the Mayflower. The year 2020 will mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Mayflower.In January, over 250 people converged in Plymouth for a tailgate party put together by Plymouth 400 Inc., the nonprofit spearheading events leading up to the 400th celebration in 2020, according to an article in the Boston Globe. Plymouth 400 license plates are fast becoming the chic accessory to your Massachusetts car. The plates depict a blue silhouetted Mayflower approaching a Wampanoag Native American standing on the Plymouth shore.

To order this special plate, visit:

www.plymouth400inc.org/licenseplate

This is a great way to show your support forthe upcoming anniversary in 2020!

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Watch as our web presence increasesBy Jim Nickerson

Our web presence is secured and progressing well. We went live with the web site in May 2015. Since then we have averaged 4,632 visits per month with a total number of 50,949 visits! Some folks visit the site and stay for more than an hour. If you have visited www.nickersonassoc.com you know that it is content rich and we will be adding more and more as the months go by.Our Facebook page has accumulated an additional 890 “likes” just since January of this year. It is engaging folks and it shows! In the future we will use Facebook in new and different ways, so stay tuned in.Our web presence is true to our Vision Statement which is: “Shaping the future by preserving our heritage, discovering new knowledge of our roots, and sharing our resources with the world.” The web presence is also true to our Mission Statement: “The increase and diffusion of knowledge associated with the Nickerson Family.”Our web presence provides your association the opportunity to communicate and share the accumulated knowledge preserved at the NFA as well as to explore new frontiers in genealogy.This is just the beginning. Visit these various platforms to see firsthand the new and improved NFA web presence!

of the year. Without hesitation, Ben left the theater and went to get his neighbor’s ‘47 Ford station wagon, a “woodie” with the spare tire on the rear swinging door. He removed the car’s rear seats and folded the middle seats down before he made his way along Shore Road through the blinding snow to the fish pier. By now it seemed that most of the town was waiting at the pier despite the snow. It was pitch dark. When the 12-man rescue boat CG-36500 finally docked at the fish pier, the crowd held its breath. Then the hatch opened, and men climbed out, one after another-- 32 rescued from the sinking Pendleton, and the four crewmen.“They were pretty beat by this time, and soaking wet in their insulated overalls and jackets,” Ben recalled. Ben half lifted two or three heavy, exhausted men into the back of the woodie and, with his cargo safe, drove the mile or so to the Coast Guard station with only the sound of his windshield wipers fighting the snow. No one talked. Once he helped the men out of the car and into the station, where they would be treated for hypothermia and given dry clothes and hot food, Ben returned to the fish pier for another load of soaked men. After delivering two or three loads, he stayed at the station for a couple of hours, leaving before the media arrived and the photo-taking began.Another drama began to play out not far down Main Street when Jane went into labor. Her husband John drove her to Cape Cod Hospital through the nor’easter. And so on the evening of the Pendleton rescue, during a memorable nor’easter, Suzanna Nickerson was born.Suzanna’s older sister Ginny recalled that she was 18 months old that night. “Because Suzanna was born on that night, the SS Pendleton has always held a special place in our household,” she remembered.Jane, Suzanna and Ben got a chance to tell their stories last September when they were interviewed on the porch of Jane’s Main Street home not far from the Orpheum Theater.

by Debra Lawless

Who knew, as the seemingly-ordinary day of Feb. 18, 1952 unfolded in Chatham, that the events of that

stormy day would become so famous that no less than seven full-length books and now a Disney movie, The Finest Hours, would result?The Finest Hours, filmed partly in Chatham last year, opened last January at the Chatham Orpheum Theater. (In early February the Orpheum was the #1 highest gross-ing theater in the nation showing The Finest Hours.) The film is based on The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Most Daring Sea Rescue, a 2010 book by Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman. One film location Nickerson reunion-goers may recognize is the dock belonging to cousin Shareen Davis’s family—the Friday evening welcoming cocktail party was held on that dock in 2012.Several Nickersons had roles to play that fateful day.The annual town meeting used to be held in February in the old Orpheum Theater, and on this particular evening townspeople were worried that the meeting might not have a quorum because of the howling nor’easter that was shooting snow horizontally down Main Street.Jane Nickerson (now West) skipped town meeting because she and her husband John were expecting their new baby at any moment. After experiencing labor pains earlier in the day, she rested in her Main Street home as the wind howled and the snow piled up.Ben Nickerson, 18, a senior at Chatham High School, driving through the snow in the sedan he had recently bought, slogged from his family’s home on Ryder’s Cove in North Chatham to the town meeting. He was sitting in the theater when a man stepped to the stage and asked for volunteer drivers. It seemed that a ship full of heating fuel was in distress east of Monomoy, off Chatham, and rescuers from the Coast Guard station at Chatham Light had gone out through the fierce gale in a 36-foot wooden vessel. The crew would need help when they came back-- if they came back-- in transporting men from the Chatham Fish Pier to the Coast Guard station. The distressed ship was The SS Pendleton.That Chatham’s waters were among the most dangerous on the East Coast was no secret to the town’s residents. Many years before, Ben’s grandfather was in a lifesaving service in Chatham. A quarterboard his grandfather had obtained from a boat that got caught in the Chatham Bars during WWII hung on the family home. Ben himself was in the Coast Guard Reserves and on active duty two weeks

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THE FINEST HOURS features many Nickersons

CG-36500

Chatham local Nicks Phyllis Nickerson Power and her sister Barbara Nickerson had a great time in Hollywood, Calif. in January as guests of David Jessen, Disney VP for DVD/BlueRay production. While there, they attended the premiere of The Finest Hours. Disney arrived to film in Chatham in December 2014 and many locals were extras in the movie which is based on the true story of the mi-raculous Chatham Coast Guard rescue of 32 survivors off the oil tanker Pendleton in a blizzard in February 1952.

The premiere was held at the famous Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard with a Coast Guard band playing on the sidewalk as the dignitaries walked along on the red carpet. Star Wars played the day before, and suddenly overnight new large billboard signs went up and there was a buzz of excitement with the city block roped off and barriers installed. Most of the tourists on the side-lines were not familiar with the Pendleton story, so the Chatham Nicks were happy and proud to fill them in on it.

When a Disney movie goes into final production, Disney sends out Jessen and his creative team to film the real story behind the story in the original location. His job is to interview locals and see the sights and sounds of the town to make a short bonus feature for the DVD which is distributed after the movie comes out. As a local realtor, Phyllis originally met David several years ago when he was here in Chatham on vacation and then sold him a vacation home. He fell in love with Chatham and the Cape and was thrilled to come back on business for Disney. He said it is never work for him to come to Chatham and ex-claimed how thrilled he was to show his production crew one of his favorite places! He got in touch with Phyllis last winter to say he would be back in town in August 2015 and asked her to be his location production manager for the DVD bonus feature. Phyllis spent a week with the crew filming CG36500 in Orleans, including interviewing Patti Hamilton, the daughter of hero Bernie Webber, and talking to locals who remember that fateful day in 1952.

Several Nickersons, the current Capt. Richard Ryder and Capt. Don St Pierre, the authors of the book, and others were interviewed while visiting the Orleans and Chatham Historical Societies and other locales in town. The week of filming was later edited to 18 minutes. Phyllis and Bar-bara saw the preview of this bonus feature while staying at David’s charming home in Hollywood Hills. It shows fa-miliar scenes of Chatham, is beautifully photographed and will delight all of those who enjoyed the movie and want to see even more of Chatham. This DVD will have its own special launch in the spring. We will all want to own a copy as we are very proud of our famous CG36500 boat rescue.

David said he wanted to make a “love letter” to Chatham. He has been so excited about the project he agreed to have the production team make a special archive DVD that includes all of the several days of filming.Phyllis hopes to organize a fundraising event at the Chatham Orpheum for local folks to see the full bonus feature.At their private tour of Disney headquarters in Burbank, Phyllis and Barbara met Jessen’s wonderful creative team. The frosting on the cake was that they got to hold Walt Disney’s Oscar, which is in the Disney Archive Library.

Ginny Nickerson attendsChatham premiere

Many of us in Chatham were unaware of just how heroic this rescue was until The Finest Hours was produced. I watched in awe as the story unfolded on the big screen. The dangers mounted as the crew of CG36500 crossed the bar, found the Pendleton, rescued all but one of the remaining crew and returned with 36 men in a 36-foot boat! I felt that Disney did an unbelievable job bringing the bravery of the four Coast Guard crew to the public. Having witnessed the damage and high winds that a win-ter blizzard can bring to Cape Cod and its surrounding waters, I thought there were a few “Hollywood-style” sur-prises. To name a few: there was more rain than blinding snow; the rescued men sat on the deck of CG36500 not below deck as they were returned from their rescue; everyone was dry when they arrived at the fish pier dock; Miriam wrecked havoc at the Coast Guard station and she ran around during a blizzard without a coat. Otherwise I loved the movie! I have seen The Finest Hours twice now and I would see it again. It is about our town and our Coast Guard and it has helped to educate people around the world about the most heroic small-boat rescue in history. To complete this wonderful evening, when we stepped out of the movie theater on the night of the premier and looked across the street, CG36500 had been parked right in front of us! Seeing this historic boat and realizing what it and its crew had accomplished that night was both humbling and thrilling!

Phyllis and Barbara

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TWO NICKERSONS GO TO HOLLYWOOD!

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Gifts for Nicks Order Form

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Keep the Nick Gift Store in mind when shoppingfor Birthdays, Anniversaries, Christmas, andany time there’s an occasion to give a Nick

you love something special!

Please submit your order to:The Nickerson Family Association, P.O. Box 296, North Chatham, MA 02650-0296

To make it as convenient as possible to buy your loved ones gifts about the Nickersons, click on this hyperlinkhttp://nickersonassoc.com/store

to go directly to the NFA’s web-based store and order directly from it!

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