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Jean Arlene Nicholson (86) of Electric City, Wash., was born June 10, 1926, in Cathay, N.D., to Hjalmer “Jonie” and Hulda Stokes and passed from this life on Wednesday, Apr. 3, 2013, from Wenatchee, Washington.

At eight years of age, Jean moved with her family from North Dakota to Grand Coulee, and graduated from Grand Coulee High School in 1944. In 1946, 20-year-old Jean A. Stokes married the love of her life Jack Nicholson. Moving their growing family from Grand Coulee in 1954, they lived in Wenatchee, (1954-1960), Grand Coulee, (1960-1963), Soap Lake, (1963-1973), and Ephrata, (1973-1978) before settling in Electric City, in 1978.

Beginning in 1943, Jean worked as a secretary and bookkeeper for several employers; in Grand Coulee: Grand Coulee School District, the Grand Coulee Bureau, and Atty. Alan Spratlin; in Wenatchee: State Farm Adjusters; in Soap Lake: city clerk; in Ephrata: 76 Gas/Inland Oil, Farmers Ins., and Baird & White Attys.; and in Electric City: Coulee Playland operators and Grant County Highway Dept. She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the American Legion. Jean was well known for her love of writing, reading and painting, participating as an active member of Wenatchee’s “Writers on the River”, “the Art Club” and Grand Coulee’s “Them Dam Writers.” During the heyday of CB radio, the Nicholsons were active in the Coulee area radio club carrying the “Handles” of “Captain Jack” & “Gypsy Jean.” Jean also was a published poet, wrote the column “Quail Tracks” for the Star Newspaper and interviewed persons for articles she wrote in the “Gold Historian.”

Predeceased in 2002 by her beloved husband and soulmate of 56 years Jack Nicholson, brother Harlan A. Stokes and her sister Gerry “Tootie” Beck earlier this year; Jean’s legacy lives on through her three daughters: Janice Arlene Elliot (Don), Sheila Rae Hogge and Patty Lee Taylor (Ron); 19 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great-grandchildren and Dell Hogge.

At Jean’s request, cremation has taken place. A memorial celebration of her life will take place at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Coulee Dam, 1 p.m., on Saturday, Apr. 27, 2013, with inurnment to follow at Spring Canyon Cemetery in Grand Coulee.

Jean’s family requests that those of you who knew her would reflect on memories of events with Jean and then to please share those memories with her family or write them down so that her family may place your reminisces in Jean’s memory book so that her future generations may know Jean better. Thank you.