Annie Harlow MENDELL (64) was the youngest of twelve children born to Col. Sidney J. Mendell (35th NY regiment Civil War) and Mary Porter. Her father was one of the founding fathers of Franklin County, IA.

She met her future husband, James Henry NICHOLAS, born in Penbrokeshire, Wales, son of Henry Nicholas and Mary Bevan, on a trip to visit her sister, Grace Mendell Capellen, in Lake Park, IA.
Annie and James were married in Feb. 22, 1893 in Dows, IA. A devoted Christian who believed in humbly serving others in her church and community, her home was a gathering place for other youth. Wherever she was needed to fill in to help she would do it right down to shoveling the coal to warm the church before others arrived on Sunday. She was the embodiment of Christian service in action.

To this union of James Henry Nicholas and Annie Mendell were born 4 children:
1. Mary Lucille Nicholas b. Jun 7, 1884 Lake Park, IA d. Ap 14, 1960. Lake Park. m. Paul Maynard Lawrence, son of Charles Edward Lawrence and Etta Emma Price. 4 children: Robert, Leonard, Phyllis, Charles)
2. Bessie Nicholas Stedwell
3. Karl Nicholas, Storm Lake, IA
4. Herbert Mendell Nicholas b. May 12, 1908 Lake Park, IA d. Jan 14 1971 Boulder CO. M. Aug 20, 1934 Lake Park, ;IA to Alvina Olga Anna Fischer, dau. of Wilhelm Fischer and Ida Augusta.

Her faith in God and her Presbyterian Church in Lake Park, IA were near to her heart. Her loving service as Organist, Sunday School Superintendent, Teacher and member of the WCTU (Woman's Christian Temperance) were just some of the ways she served her Maker. There was no task to small for her to do, including shoveling coal to heat the church before service. Her unselfish service inspired my father, Rev. Ralph E. Rowe to become the only person to become a minister from the Lake Park Presbyterian Church. Annie was his aunt on his maternal side (Grace Nicholas Rowe), and he lived with her during his senior year at Lake Park High School (Iowa) 1931.

From WPA 1930's Graves Registration Survey.

Obituary from The Lake Park News 2/7/1935.See view all images.