BARBARA ROBISON NICHOLAS

1943 - 2023

BARBARA ROBISON NICHOLAS January 3, 1943 - April 28, 2023 Barbara Ann Lindamood first took this world by storm when she made her entrance on January 3, 1943, in Eureka, Kansas. She was the first born child of a cattleman and a school teacher. Her father was Delbert "Deak" Lindamood, a long-time farmer and rancher in rural Greenwood County. Her mother was Zenith Fowler Lindamood, a farm-raised girl from Norton, KS, who later earned her degree in education from KU and passed her love of teaching on to her daughter. Barbara, or "Bobbie", as she was known by her school friends, was an entertaining mix of a tomboy and a cheerleader. She loved animals, the outdoors, sports of all kinds, and her beloved paperdolls, as she was growing up in Quincy, KS. She was also very active and competitive in 4-H activities including, singing, dancing, sewing, and cooking. After completing her primary years at Quincy, she went on to graduate from Hamilton High school in 1960, where she was active in every aspect of school life, including basketball and cheerleading. After high school, she made her way to Emporia State University to pursue her degree in education and obtain her Bachelor's Degree. Her first teaching position out of college was at Northern Heights, where she was a business teacher for a few years. She later moved on to the Wamego School District where she taught business for several more years. Later, she returned to Emporia State and earned her Master's in Psychology, which led her into the field of Special Education. She was united in marriage to James "Jim" Robison on August 14, 1964. To this union, one daughter, Dana Lynn, was born. This marriage would later end in divorce. Barbara and her family moved back home to the Virgil area in 1973, where she owned and operated the Quincy Grocery store. Barbara began her teaching career in Eureka in 1977 as the Gifted Coordinator in the Special Education Department. She impacted many lives during her years of teaching and was named as a "favorite teacher" by several past students. Over the years she also taught Psychology, Business Law, Kansas History, Junior High American History, and Computer classes. She and co-teacher Wes Smith founded the Academic Quiz Team at Eureka, which she continued to coach until retirement. She also taught Accounting and other courses for Butler County Community College during this time. She retired from Eureka USD 389 in 2003. Following her retirement, she worked for two additional years for Atchison USD 409. During her retirement years she also continued to write quiz questions for the annual Tri Valley League Jr High Quiz Tournaments and she served as a judge at State History Day Competitions. Barbara served in a number of volunteer capacities including President of the Greenwood County Historical Society, Ag Education Coordinator for the Greenwood County Farm Bureau organization, served on the Board of Directors of the Greenwood County Babson Midwest Memorial Foundation, and was the pianist and lay leader for the Virgil United Methodist Church. She was very active with the Virgil United Methodist Women. One of her favorite activities with the UMC was creating beautiful rugs as a church fundraiser. She was also one of the founding leaders for the Racing Wranglers 4-H Club in Eureka. Other affiliations included Entre Nous Club of Eureka (the organization responsible for founding both the public library and the county historical society in Eureka), and past president and member of Alpha Chi Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma. In 2011, Barbara was united in marriage to a former Hamilton High School classmate, Melvin Nicholas. They settled into their new lives in El Dorado, KS, and immediately became involved in that community. She joined the Trinity United Methodist Church and served on various committees and devoted time to the educational aspect of church activities. Her most loved contribution stemmed from her desire to teach, as she served as a presenter of Children's Time. Her involvement also extended to numerous other community organizations in El Dorado which included: Susan B Allen Sewing Saints, PEO, Women's Mutual Benefit Book Club, and others. Barbara was an excellent cook. She was very creative in the kitchen and in younger years, when she prepared meals for the hay haulers, she always had enough to feed an army! She also loved flowers and plants. Every spring her back yard and deck were bright with color. Always a student, she was an avid reader, and of course she was a pet lover. And we can't forget that her favorite and most important job was being a mother and later, a grandmother. She was a wonderful mother that provided support and guidance to her daughter, as well as many "surrogate kids" that were her beloved students. Her greatest joy of all was watching her grandsons in sports, cattle shows, or giving 4-H talks, as she was their biggest fan. Barbara lived life to the fullest in spite of the recent decline in her health. She was a wonderful person who was dearly loved by those who knew her. She will be deeply missed, but never forgotten. Her loving family includes Melvin, of the home, Daughter, Dana Mills and husband Shawn, grandsons, TJ and Emery of Eureka, KS, step-son, Doug Nicholas and wife, Karla, and grandchildren, Maya, Paige, and Seth of Elizabeth, IL, and brother Jim Lindamood, and wife Karen of Rose Hill, KS, and many nieces and nephews. Barbara was preceded in death by both of her parents, Deak and Zenith Lindamood, and her ex-husband, Jim Robison. Visitation will be held at Carlson Funeral Home in El Dorado, KS, on Friday, May 5, from 4-6 pm. Memorial Services will be held at the City of Eureka Memorial Hall in Eureka, KS, on Saturday, May 6 at 11:00 am. Private cemetery services will be held at a later time. Memorial Contributions may be made to the Babson Midwest Memorial Foundation or the Greenwood County Historical Society, in care of Carlson Funeral Home.