Lieutenant Colonel Glen L. Nichols, Sr.

92 year old Lieutenant Colonel Glen L. Nichols, Sr., U.S. Army Retired of Smithville died early Sunday morning at St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital in Murfreesboro. He was an Elder for over 30 years at the Smithville Church of Christ and a retired General Contractor.
The funeral will be Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. at the Smithville Church of Christ. Dan Gulley and Ralph Vaughn will officiate. Burial will be in DeKalb Memorial Gardens with military honors. Visitation will be Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. until the service time at 1:00 p.m. at the Smithville Church of Christ.
Colonel Nichols, a 25 year veteran of the United States Army, was born and reared in Algood, a part of neighboring Putnam County. In February 1941, he was part of the Tennessee Army National Guard based in Cookeville and said unit was soon called into WWII. He attended Officer Candidate School and became Second Lieutenant and later becoming First Lieutenant. Following the War, he returned to the Volunteer State to further his education at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville. While there, he met a young lady whom he described as “the prettiest girl on campus”. Marie Patterson from Smithville would later become Mrs. Glen Nichols and the mother to Glen, Jr. and Sharon. He then attended American University in Washington where he received a Masters Degree. During this time, Officer Nichols remained in the Army Reserve. Major Nichols’ unit was activated in 1947 and shipped to Japan. Later our country was drawn into the Korean War, where he commanded an artillery unit. Following a quarter-century of military service, Colonel Glen Nichols, Sr. taught business and economics at his alma mater, Tennessee Tech University. He also enjoyed the building trade, had his own construction company and left his mark on several significant properties in the Middle Tennessee area. He also had a distinguished career with the Model Cities program.
Mr. Nichols was one of the seven original founders of the Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce over 50 years ago.
He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Cora Etta Lee Nichols and mother of his children, Marie Patterson Nichols; a sister, Reba Stamps; and a brother, Robert Nichols.
Nichols is survived by his wife, LaMurle Jarrett Parker Nichols of Smithville. One son, Glen, Jr. and Margaret Nichols and a daughter, Sharon and Dale Beaty all of Smithville. Two stepdaughters, Mimi Bowling of Mt. Juliet and Lynn Fann of Texas. Ten grandchildren, Jennifer and Brian Light of Knoxville, Amanda Mathis and Abby Evans of Smithville, Kerri and Adam Hudson of Nashville, Patterson and Brad Wilson of Knoxville, Lori and David Purnell of Lebanon, Josh and Wendy Bowling of Nashville, Kelly and Marco Marcini of Italy, Amy and Mark Strauss and Ben and Marissa Fann all of Texas, and Michael and Monica Beaty of McMinnville. Fifteen great grandchildren. Two brothers, John Thomas and Dorothy Nichols and Earl Young Nichols all of Algood. Several nieces and nephews also survive.
Love-Cantrell Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.