Francis Anthony 'Frank' Nickol, 85

Francis Anthony "Frank" Nickol, 85, passed away Saturday, March 3, 2007, at the Marias Valley Care Center in Shelby. He was born on Dec. 29, 1921, to George and Elizabeth (Thiese) Nickol on their family farm east of Ledger.

Frank received eight years of formal education in the nearby Omhalt School and then continued to educate himself for the rest of his life. He was a very prolific reader, reading hundreds of thousands of pages of political history as well as dozens of other subjects, and yet managed to avoid even reading one page of any instruction book, ever. Frank read until his eyesight failed him and even attended some community-college courses in his later years.

In 1939, at the age of 18, Frank purchased his first piece of farm ground. The seller asked Frank for one dollar and told him to make payments to him of "whatever and whenever you can make them." This farm grew to about 2,000 acres. He also purchased a ranch north of Havre that he once said, "Luckily, right before the prices went up," that was later sold.

In the late fall of 1941, Frank was arrested by the FBI and falsely accused of being a Nazi sympathizer. It was an event that left him with a lifelong suspicion and distrust of government and politics.

During the fall of 1953 he went to visit his cousin, Helen Frank, and met Mary Margaret Wendt, who was teaching at the Mountain Brook School. They were married June 14, 1954, at St. Matthew's Catholic Church in Kalispell. They returned to the farm he bought in 1939.

In 1960, the couple moved their growing family into a new home at the present farm site. Frank and Mary raised seven boys starting with George in 1955; Chris came along in 1957, then Matthew in 1958, Steve in 1960, Andy in 1961, Simon in 1964, Luke (who was still-born) in 1968, and finally, Sam in 1975.

Frank worked with all his sons teaching them his mechanical genius as well as an amazing array of talent and ability to get the job done no matter what it may be. In 1984 he turned the farm over to his eldest son, George, and moved to an 80-acre place in the Flathead Valley, which had been given to them by Mary's father. In 1985, Frank helped his son Steve buy and rebuild a marina on Flathead Lake. He then helped run it for the next 10 years.

After being involved in an auto accident in 1994, Frank quit working as hard and helped out at the Flathead Food Bank and other charities.

While at an old tractor show, Frank was noticed by the world famous photographer, Joyce Tennyson, and she published his photo in her book, "Amazing Men," which came out in 2004. Willie Nelson and B.B. King were also listed in her book as world-famous men. Frank was pretty proud to be the only farmer in the book, even though he wasn't world famous.

Last March, Frank moved to Somers to be closer to his sons and then in August he went to assisted living to be with his wife, Mary. Health problems necessitated a move to the Marias Valley Care Center in Shelby, where he passed away. Frank's generous nature and amazing talents and sharp sense of humor, along with many other good qualities, will be greatly missed.

Frank was preceded in death by his parents; a stillborn son; and his siblings, Fred, Clair, Ed, Joe, Lee and Anna.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Margaret Nickol, of Kalispell; and seven sons, George and wife, Bonnie, Chris, Matt, Steve, Andy and wife, Cindy, and Simon and Sam; five grandchildren: Jamie, Casey, Sherwood, Victoria Kay "Tori," and Mary Frances.

Mass of Christian burial for Frank Nickol will be held at 12:10 p.m. Monday, March 12, at St. Matthew's Catholic Church, with Father Vic Langhans as celebrant. Committal will be afterward at the Glacier Memorial Gardens, next to his son Luke. Rosary services will be at 6:30 p.m. Sunday in the Johnson Mortuary Chapel. The family suggests memorial gifts be given to the charity of the donor's choice.

Johnson Mortuary and Crematory is caring for Frank's family.