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Thomas NICKEL was born on the 8th day of November, 1812, in Huntingdon
County, Penn., and is a son of Samuel and Charlotte (DIAMOND) NICKEL. The father was born and reared in County Derry, Ireland, and after attaining manhood immigrated to the United States, locating in Pennsylvania, where he was married. His wife was born and reared in the city of Philadelphia, and she and Mr. Nickel became the parents of nine children, the only living one of whom is Thomas. Those deceased are Samuel, Benjamin, James, William, John, Nancy, Sarah and Polly. In 1838 the family moved from Pennsylvania to Missouri in wagons and settled in what was then Barry County, where the father purchased 120 acres of land and engaged in farming. Here he died at the age of about eight-five years. After his death his widow and her son removed to Kansas where the mother died in the seventies. Thomas Nickel received a limited early education, and after coming to Missouri was compelled to work hard in order to obtain a home. He was married to Jane HALL, who had been reared in Ohio, and by her became the father of ten children: James, John, Robert, Thomas, Malvina, Charlotte, Sarah, Albina, Mary and Almyra, latter deceased. Mr. Nickel did not serve during the late war, but was never molested by the troops of either side. He came to Lawrence County when it was very thinly populated, and has seen it grow into a very fine agricultural region. He was at one time a large land-holder, owning about 1,500 acres of land, but divided it among his children, only retaining the old homestead, which consists of 100 acres. He is much esteemed and honored by his fellow men, and is a valued citizen of the county. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity.
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