— Two of Us became One, for life (Always Together, Loving Forever)

Sometimes in life, if we are incredibly lucky and blessed, we find and marry our life partners/soulmates. Orville and Rea had such a relationship, and for both, it was the attainment of a magnificent obsession, and quite frankly, it was magical.

A war hero, who fought in WWII and Korea and received the Bronze Star for heroism, met a stunning lady from Middleton, Idaho, and six weeks later, they were married on Dec. 30, 1947. Their song that they both loved and played often, not only on their wedding day but throughout life, was “Near You” by Francis Craig, a beautiful and haunting song.

After they married, they saved enough money to move to and buy a farm north of Howe, where they carved out a living for 60-plus years. They lived at the base of a mountain in a very old log home with no electricity, no insulation and no running water. Rea and Orville gave birth to a wonderful daughter whom they loved and absolutely cherished and was their one and only reason for living.

After some time, Orville had the idea to harness the power from three mountain streams, installed 10 miles of pipe and, with a lot of time and effort, developed a method to generate hydropower in a time when hydropower was not popular and in its infancy. They sold their generated power to a major power company and by doing so turned a barren desert landscape into a beautiful, thriving area of Idaho. In addition, to developing hydropower, they irrigated and farmed 1,100 acres of land, as well as managing a few hundred dairy cows. The winters were hard and cruel and the summer days long, brutal and hot. It was incredibly hard work and required the attention of Orville and Rea, 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Because of their efforts, a peak in the Lemhi Mountain Range was named after the couple for their pioneering efforts in Howe. The peak is named Nicholson Peak, is approximately 11,040 feet high, located in Butte County and represents a man and woman’s tireless and undying efforts to make the community, state and world a better place in which to live.

The Nicholsons were well-respected pillars of the Howe community and were best known for their philanthropic endeavors helping to build and fund the Howe Community Center, elementary school, the Parsonage and Crusader Hall for the Little Lost River Bible Church, as well as helping multitudes of local disadvantaged families in the community. In addition, Orville was a senior leader of the Lions Club and traveled extensively with Rea throughout the U.S. helping other organizations and families with their generosity. They were kind, compassionate, revered and well-respected people whose kindness and compassion was second to none. Their marriage lasted a wonderful and mystical 70 years.

Orville and Rea passed away within a week of each other. Orville passed first and Rea, very soon thereafter, from a broken heart. They were, quite frankly, truly remarkable people who were passionate about their dreams and ideas. They took risks and used their passion, skills and kindness as a platform to help others.