Julia Engelhardt Nichols

Julia Engelhardt Nichols of Hartwell, GA has passed away on August 12, 2025 after a short illness at St. Mary's Sacred Heart Hospital in Lavonia, GA.

Julia lived a long full life, born in Mt Vernon, New York on May 21, 1936 to Elizabeth Sherman Engelhardt and George Bliss Engelhardt. She grew up in Hartsdale, NY and graduated High School from Scarsdale High School. A horse lover from an early age, she dreamt of farming in Vermont after summers working on a northern Vermont Farm through a City to Farm program. She attended University of Vermont receiving a Bachelors degree in 1958 in Animal Husbandry as one of the first women in the program. She later received a Masters Degree in Animal Sciences from UVM.

Julia met Joseph Nichols in Fairfax, Vermont when she was sent into the sugar bush to find the team of horses, and they married in 1957. After purchasing and running the West River Horse Camp and Lodge in Brookline, Vermont for a few years she returned to her science roots at the University of Vermont, working in medical research; focusing on the effects of alcohol on the liver and testing materials in the development of artificial hearts. She later moved with her family back to Brookline and ran a woodworking business with Joe while learning to write Braille to transcribe text books for the blind. She eventually focused on music Braille for blind musicians and spent more than 40 years transcribing music for student and professional musicians. After the death of her husband Joe, she moved with her mother to Hartwell, GA where she was active in her church at Hartwell First Methodist Church, DAR and many bridge and Mexican Train groups, in addition to raising seeing eye dogs and teaching music braille to a blind student at Emmanuel College.
Julia is predeceased by her husband Joseph, her parents Elizabeth and George and by her brother John. She is survived by her three children, Ann (John) Dunn of Hartwell, GA, Paul (Jeanne) Nichols of Eatonton, GA and Jean Marie (Cairn) Cross of Vergennes, VT as well as 5 grandchildren, Wesley (Kim) Towle, JeanMarie (Hunter) Donovan, Megan Hope, Daniel (Erica) Cross and Meredith Cross, 3 great grandchildren, Bentley Donovan, Michaela Hope and Caleb Cross, sister-in-law Elissa Engelhardt, nieces Cheryl Engelhardt and Renee Engelhardt and dear friend Marion Powell.

Services will be held October 3, 2025 in Vermont as she joins her parents and husband in the Riverside Cemetery in Brookline.

The Strickland Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Hartwell is in charge of all arrangements.

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