“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

God needed one angel more to work in His kingdom, so He made a visit to the earth on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019, and peacefully called home one of His children, the Rev. Llewellyn Nichols, to be with Him and serve as this very special angel.

Llewellyn was born to the late Crear Nichols and Ella Jones Nichols on Jan. 9, 1933. He was a lifelong resident of the Varnado community. He attended Wesley Ray School, where he played basketball and maintained a lifelong passion for sports; having served as an umpire and a “grandpa” driver and supporter for the Bogalusa Little League for several years. On Aug. 16, 1952, he was united in Holy Matrimony to Sis. Lucille Moses Nichols. To this union, they were blessed with eight children — six daughters and two sons.

In his early years, Llewellyn united with the Live Oak Church, under the leadership of Rev. E. L. Jackson. Upon accepting the Lord as his personal Saviour, at Live Oak United Methodist Church, he served as the church Lay Leader, on the Board of Trustees, and was a member of the committee that initiated the family day services. In the year of 1992, he accelerated his drive to work for the Lord and he accepted his call to ministry.

The Rev. Nichols later united with the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, in the year of 1997, under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Alfonso S. Nelson. Until the Rev. Nichols’s health began to fail, he was a faithful and active member, and he led the Prayer Ministry and the Nursing Home Ministry as an associate minister there at Mt. Zion.

He was skilled to work in many capacities — as a pulpwood hauler and later becoming an entrepreneur. The Rev. Nichols, along with his wife, owned a business where he was a licensed chain saw repairman, mechanic, and welder. Eventually, he began a career with Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office as a Sheriff’s Deputy. After 26 years of employment with the Sheriff’s Office and working in various capacities, he retired as the supervisor of the parish jail dining facilities.

Preceding him in death were: his parents, Crear and Ella Nichols; a sister, Faye Doris Viverette; a great-grandchild, Zyndia Walls; a great-great-grandchild, Hayden Nichols Jones; and brothers-in-law, Oscar L. Moses, Booker T. Hatcher, Clemeal Hatcher and Doc Viverette.

The Rev. Nichols’s memories will be cherished by his loving wife, Sis. Lucille Moses Nichols; his eight children, Shirley (Rev. Leonard) Craft of Pearl River, the Rev. Anice (Rodney) Moses of Varnado, Janice Morris of Houston, Texas, Mary Walls of Varnado, Llewellyn J. (Desiree) Nichols of Slidell, Ron P. Nichols Sr. of Varnado, Anna (Tarrance) Moses of Varnado, and Romona (Jimmy) Thomas of Iowa, La.; three grandchildren he reared, Keavina Robinson, Nakia Bryant, and Gurnez Nichols; nine siblings, Richard Foster, Ollie Harry, Katherine (Levi Sr.) Lewis, Joseph “J.C.” Nichols, Willie (Beverly) Nichols, Larry (Charlene) Nichols, Bernard Nichols, Lionel (Rosie) Foster and Stanley Nichols; sisters and brothers-in-law, Ossilean Moses, Evangelist Ella (William T.) Foster, Faye Dorothy Parnell, Mary May, Freddy Moses, Mary Keaton, and Glen Jefferson; 30 grandchildren; 42 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren, along with a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.