While Dellgratia (Dell) was taken too soon, we know that God does all things well. God's timing is not our timing, and God's time is the right time.

Dellgratia Nichols was a true servant. Faith, family, friends, relationships, and work were important to her. She was a very compassionate person, who was always ready to serve others and help anyone in need. She touched countless lives through her generosity and her gentle spirit. She had a unique ability to make those around her feel valued and cherished.

Her official birthdate was June 1, 1955, although she was always quick to tell you that she really had two birthdays. It was verified that Dell was really born May 31st , but the attending nurse was a bit slow in getting the information together, so she ended up with her birthdate as June 1st. She was born to Reverend Eddie David and Genevieve Rebecca (Jones) Nichols.

Dell attended the local public schools and graduated from Winthrop University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. She began her career Federal at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Boulder, CO, then moved to Washington DC, where she worked with the Department of Defense. Upon her father's passing, she moved back to Rock Hill, and joined the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in Charlotte, NC, where she worked until retirement.

To Dell, family was very important, and her commitment to loved ones went beyond the ordinary. She kept in touch with her brothers, talked to her sister every day and regularly checked in with her nieces, nephews, aunts, and cousins. She made sure everyone knew they were loved and had her unwavering support.

That love extended outside of her family circle to encompass friends and coworkers as well. While working at the OCC, Dell would voluntarily send cards to co-workers all over the nation when they were sick or had lost loved ones. As a result of her outpouring of kindness and compassion, her office received national recognition, and this became part of her regular job duties.

Dell was a strong woman of Faith. She loved bible study and immersed herself in the Word of God. She would journal and write commentaries about her study of scriptures, and she loved sharing the Gospel message with others. She would always say "Jesus is a way maker, and I am depending on Him for all my strength". One of her favorite scriptures was: Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you", Matthew 6:33

Dell enjoyed traveling, learning, and experiencing other cultures. She loved beach vacations and drives in the mountains and would always talk about the wonder of God's creations.

Dell was a tech enthusiast, always staying current with the latest technological gadgets. She loved to watch and critique good movies, listen to music (loved oldies but stayed up with the latest artists too). She loved to dance and had an eclectic taste in music from Johnny Cash (her ring tone) to Aretha Franklin to 2Pac to MAZE (her all-time favorite), Drake and countless others.

She spent hours, journaling, writing short stories, poems and plays. She regularly put on plays for Black History Month at Boyd Hill Baptist Church. She also put on a play of the history of Boyd Hill Baptist Church. She had a love for reading and had extensive book collections. She enjoyed quilting and displayed her work at various functions during Black history month. When she moved back to Denver, she joined the Wa Shonaji Quilters Guild to continue to cultivate her quilting skills.

Dell was a survivor; she never gave up no matter what sickness attacked her body. When she lost the use of her hands, she took courses in drawing and painting to regain her fine motor skills and dexterity. She found it to be healing. She always had a strong will to hold on to God's unchanging hand and fight to regain her strength. She would always say "I'm gonna make it; I'm gonna be Alright because of the Grace of God"!

During her battle with cancer, she never lost hope. In September, her prayers were answered as her final cancer treatment destroyed all the cancer cells in her blood and she was cancer free! We all praised the Lord for answering our prayers!
Dell was greeted in heaven by her father Reverend Eddie, mother, Genevieve, and brothers Johnny, Charles, and Mack Nichols.

She is survived by her sister Gloria (Carl), brothers Eddie, Thomas (Carolyn), and Timothy, two sisters-in-law, Blanche Nichols, and Jackie Nichols, along with a host of adoring nieces, nephews, grandnieces grandnephews, cousins, and friends.


To watch services via Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SBCBoulder/live/

To watch via Second Baptist Church Boulder streaming https://www.sbcboulder.com/watch