NICKLE FAMILY PAID ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
/Clint nickle at Nickles Drug store, Marmora
We all remember well Clint Spurr Nickle, who owned and operated Nickle’s Drug store in Marmora for almost thirty-five years, but only after Cohen Salo of Peterborough wrote to us was it brought to light the size of Clint’s family, and what a toll the world wars had on them all.
Clint was one of twelve children born to Thomas Nickle and Eleanor Spurr. Thomas himself was one of twelve children born to Margaret Quigg and John NIckle (1827-1894) who settled in Madoc in 1871 from Ireland. John’s brother, James, who had arrived earlier, is buried in Zion Cemetery, Marmora, with his wife, Hannah Jane, and their son Robert.
It is James’ grandson, Robert John Nickle, who gave his life at age 24, in the first world war, and whose name tops the list on the Marmora Memorial.-
John Nickle’s grandson, was Lt George Moore Nickle, referred to in Cohen Salo’s letter:
“My story is about Lieutenant George Moore Nickle. He was born in Manitoba but much of his family lived in Marmora. He was cousins with Robert John Nickle and Clinton Spurr Nickle. He served with the 44th battalion CEF. In 1917 he was wounded by being buried by a shell. On Jan 2., 1918 while awaiting transfer to be a pilot with the Royal Flying Corp he was killed by a shell (killed in the tranches by shrapnel at Avion, France ) while with a messenger. (aged 22) He is my 1st cousin 4 times removed.
Information on Robert John Nickle is he was killed (in the trenches) at Crest Farm, Passchendaele (Belgium) on the night of November 3, 1917. Also three of Robert Nickle’s half brothers from Madoc were killed overseas. Robert John Nickle’s half brothers from his mother Margaret Broadworth are Carl McDonald Broadworth of Madoc, Percy Melville Broadworth of Madoc, and Ernest McCauley Broadworth from Madoc who lived out west. All three were killed. Carl at Vimy, Percy at Brandhoëk Belgium, and Ernest at Pas de Calais, France.
Private Leslie Nickle
Leslie Webster NIckle was Clint Nickle’s brother, living in Madoc. During WWI, on Nov. 18, 1916, he was killed shortly before reaching Ancre Desire trench on the Somme by a machine gun bullet through the heart at about 6:10a.m. (a week before his twentieth birthday) He is buried at Adanac Military Cemetery, Miraumont and Pys, France.
One brother of Clint and Leslie Nickle was Thomas Edmund Nickle who moved to the US in the ‘20s and was a pilot for the Marine Aviation Corps. He was killed in a crash on Feb. 11, 1929 in San Diego, aged 23. He is buried in the Arlington National Cemetery, in Virginia.
Clinton Nickle of Nickle’s pharmacy was wounded during the invasion of Sicily, Italy during WWII. “ He returned to Canada in 1945, having married Audrey Ince in England in 1942.
Lt George M. Nickle
Can. Inf.(NB Regiment)
SUCRERIE CEMETERY ABLAIN ST.-NAZAIR
Thomas Nickle, US Marine Corp. Grave -Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, US
FOR MORE ON CLINT NICKLE AND THE DRUG STORE CLICK HERE
FOR MORE ON THE NICKLE FAMILY TREE AND PHOTOS , CLICK HERE.
Trudy Irwin wrote: It was a heartwarming surprise to read this article, especially the parts about my Uncles Leslie, T.E.D. ( Thomas Edmund Dudley, and Clint. My mother was Jean their youngest sister and I have in my possession the same photos that you shared with this article. At times like these, I think of my grandmother and grandfather who lost two sons, another was wounded, as well as losses among nephews and cousins. Ultimate sacrifice indeed.
Trudy Irwin (nee Smith), daughter of Roy and Jean Smith (nee Nickle) trudyirwin51@gmail.com
John Fife wrote: Very interesting article. My maternal grandmother was Jane Nickle, born Dec 4, 1890. She was Private Robert Nickle's older sister.
