Martha Hubbard Nichols

Martha Hubbard Nichols, a resident of Clayhatchee, AL passed away Wednesday, June 26, 2024 at Graceville Health and Rehabilitation after an extended illness.  She was 81.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM, Monday, July 1, 2024 at Searcy Funeral Home and Crematory Chapel with Rev. Robin Blair officiating and Searcy Funeral Home and Crematory directing.  Private burial will follow in Providence Baptist Church Cemetery.  The family will receive friends from 1:00 PM until service time.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Providence Baptist Church, 10 Providence Lane, Daleville, AL 36322.

Martie was born on December 3, 1942 to the late Gordon and Maureen (Roberts) Hubbard and lived in Skipperville and Ozark until she graduated from Carroll High School in 1961 and then went to the University of Montevallo and obtained her Bachelor degree in Education. Upon graduation, she taught in north Alabama for one year before moving back to Ozark to begin her teaching career in Dale County. While in Ozark, her mother played matchmaker and introduced her to a farmer named Don Nichols. Seven months later, they were married and lived in Clayhatchee. This marriage lasted for 50 years until his passing in 2017.

Martie’s teaching career in Dale County lasted for 31 years until she retired in 1997. She spent the first few years at Dale County High, but the majority of her time was spent teaching history at South Dale Middle School in Pinckard.

After retirement, Martie stayed busy with her plants. She had a green thumb and loved her plants and won many awards from plant shows. While she stopped participating in plant shows, her love of plants never ended. There were plants everywhere; sometimes it looked like a nursery. She also loved rocks and arrowheads. As she always said, “I’ve never seen a rock I didn’t like.” Martie was also a wonderful cook. Forget dieting when visiting her- she was an excellent cook and always made sure that you had something wonderful to eat. During the fall, she loved to watch college football, especially the Auburn Tigers.

While Martie loved plants, rocks, and making great food, none of that compared with her love of God and family. She always attended church and made sure her children were there. Martie did not like attention and preferred to be in the background. While she was sweet but firm with her children, it was different when she became “Mimi.” She loved her grandchildren and made sure to usually have her famous poundcake on hand (it became known as “Mimi Cake”), and all other poundcakes paled in comparison and made her grandchildren into poundcake snobs.

While our hearts are broken, we find solace in knowing that she is no longer suffering. We would like to give a very special thank you to Nancy Shelton and Linda York who were caregivers until she could no longer stay home. Next, a special thank you to all the staff of Graceville Health and Rehab, especially Tammy Bryant, for their wonderful care and compassion.

Martie is preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Don.

Survivors include her children, Ed Nichols (Dana), Rehobeth, AL; Laura Bowden (Dan), Malvern, AL; grandchildren, Ally and Grayson Nichols, Thomas and Erin Bowden; siblings, Helen Reeder, Tom Hubbard (Nancy), George Hubbard (Monica), and Susan Kenny (Dave); special sister-in-law, Ruby Nell Nichols Dansby; aunt, Carol Parker; many nieces, nephews, and cousins.