Rephenia Cathern (Gruissy) Nichols was born 4 April 1870 in Ohio. She was the daughter of Augustus Ceaser Gruissy and Esther Barbara Wolf. She married Willis L Nichols c 1891.
They had one son, Richard Ray Nichols born April 1886 in Ohio. Sometime between his birth and the 1900 US Census, Rephenia and Willis moved to Michigan. Willis was a carpenter. In 1910 Rephenia was a land lady of a boarding house. Willis would gather sea shells and sell them to the button factory.
Rephenia & Willis are buried at Fairplains Cemetery, grand Rapids, Kent Co., MI.
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Selected Sources:
- 1870 United States Census, Village of West Lebanon, Paint Township, Wayne County, Ohio, Line 27, Page 28. The August Gurnsey family.
- 1900 U.S.Census, Clinton County, Michigan; 1900; Vol.16, E.D. 14,
Sheet 9; Line 36; National Archives, Pittsfield Region, Mass., T1052 Roll 164 (Soundex), Roll T623,708 (Census); Notes: Willis L. Nichols, Wife Rephenia C., and son Richard R. living in Olive Twp - 1910 U.S.Census, Kent Co., Michigan; 1910; Vol.50, ED 112, Family #231; ; Federal archives, Pittsfield, Mass., T1268 Roll 159 Soundex, T624 Roll 658 Report; NOTE: Willis Nichols, Wife Rephenia and son Ray living in Grand Rapids
- 1920 U.S. Census, Kent C., Michigan; 1920; Vol 53, ED 84, Sheet 10;
Line 16; Federal Archives, Pittsfield, Mass.,M1568 Roll 186 Soundex, Roll 779 Report; NOTES: Willis Nichols and wife Rephenia living at 128 E. LaBelle St., Grand Rapids. - 1930 US Census, Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan, SD 7, ED 41. WIllis L. Nichols
- 1940 US Census, Norton, Muskegon, Michigan; SD 9, ED 61 – 66, Sheet 37B. Willis & Rephenia Nichols.
- Certificate of Death; 1943; Michigan Department of Helath,
Bureau of Records and Statistics; File #61 – 4738; NOTES: Rephenia Gruissy Nichols - Family letters, documents & interviews