Barbara Nicholas

Barbara Robison Nicholas
January 3, 1943 - April 28, 2023
Barbara Ann Lindamood first took this world by storm when she made her entrance on January
3, 1943, in Eureka, Kansas. She was the first born child of a cattleman and a school teacher.
Her father was Delbert “Deak” Lindamood, a long-time farmer and rancher in rural Greenwood
County. Her mother was Zenith Fowler Lindamood, a farm-raised girl from Norton, KS, who
later earned her degree in education from KU and passed her love of teaching on to her
daughter.
Barbara, or “Bobbie”, as she was known by her school friends, was an entertaining mix of a
tomboy and a cheerleader. She loved animals, the outdoors, sports of all kinds, and her
beloved paperdolls, as she was growing up in Quincy, KS. She was also very active and
competitive in 4-H activities including, singing, dancing, sewing, and cooking.
After completing her primary years at Quincy, she went on to graduate from Hamilton High
school in 1960, where she was active in every aspect of school life, including basketball and
cheerleading.
After high school, she made her way to Emporia State University to pursue her degree in
education and obtain her Bachelor’s Degree. Her first teaching position out of college was at
Northern Heights, where she was a business teacher for a few years. She later moved on to
the Wamego School District where she taught business for several more years. Later, she
returned to Emporia State and earned her Master’s in Psychology, which led her into the field of
Special Education.
She was united in marriage to James “Jim” Robison on August 14, 1964. To this union, one
daughter, Dana Lynn, was born. This marriage would later end in divorce.
Barbara and her family moved back home to the Virgil area in 1973, where she owned and
operated the Quincy Grocery store. Barbara began her teaching career in Eureka in 1977 as
the Gifted Coordinator in the Special Education Department. She impacted many lives during
her years of teaching and was named as a “favorite teacher” by several past students. Over
the years she also taught Psychology, Business Law, Kansas History, Junior High American
History, and Computer classes. She and co-teacher Wes Smith founded the Academic Quiz
Team at Eureka, which she continued to coach until retirement. She also taught Accounting and
other courses for Butler County Community College during this time.
She retired from Eureka USD 389 in 2003. Following her retirement, she worked for two
additional years for Atchison USD 409. During her retirement years she also continued to write
quiz questions for the annual Tri Valley League Jr High Quiz Tournaments and she served as a
judge at State History Day Competitions.
Barbara served in a number of volunteer capacities including President of the Greenwood
County Historical Society, Ag Education Coordinator for the Greenwood County Farm Bureau
organization, served on the Board of Directors of the Greenwood County Babson Midwest
Memorial Foundation, and was the pianist and lay leader for the Virgil United Methodist Church.
She was very active with the Virgil United Methodist Women. One of her favorite activities with
the UMC was creating beautiful rugs as a church fundraiser. She was also one of the founding
leaders for the Racing Wranglers 4-H Club in Eureka.
Other affiliations included Entre Nous Club of Eureka (the organization responsible for founding
both the public library and the county historical society in Eureka), and past president and
member of Alpha Chi Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma.
In 2011, Barbara was united in marriage to a former Hamilton High School classmate, Melvin
Nicholas. They settled into their new lives in El Dorado, KS, and immediately became involved
in that community. She joined the Trinity United Methodist Church and served on various
committees and devoted time to the educational aspect of church activities. Her most loved
contribution stemmed from her desire to teach, as she served as a presenter of Children’s Time.
Her involvement also extended to numerous other community organizations in El Dorado which
included: Susan B Allen Sewing Saints, PEO, Women’s Mutual Benefit Book Club, and others.
Barbara was an excellent cook. She was very creative in the kitchen and in younger years,
when she prepared meals for the hay haulers, she always had enough to feed an army! She
also loved flowers and plants. Every spring her back yard and deck were bright with color.
Always a student, she was an avid reader, and of course she was a pet lover.
And we can’t forget that her favorite and most important job was being a mother and later, a
grandmother. She was a wonderful mother that provided support and guidance to her daughter,
as well as many “surrogate kids” that were her beloved students. Her greatest joy of all was
watching her grandsons in sports, cattle shows, or giving 4-H talks, as she was their biggest fan.
Barbara lived life to the fullest in spite of the recent decline in her health. She was a wonderful
person who was dearly loved by those who knew her. She will be deeply missed, but never
forgotten.
Her loving family includes Melvin, of the home, Daughter, Dana Mills and husband Shawn,
grandsons, TJ and Emery of Eureka, KS, step-son, Doug Nicholas and wife, Karla, and
grandchildren, Maya, Paige, and Seth of Elizabeth, IL, and brother Jim Lindamood, and wife
Karen of Rose Hill, KS, and many nieces and nephews. Barbara was preceded in death by both
of her parents, Deak and Zenith Lindamood, and her ex-husband, Jim Robison.
Visitation will be held at Carlson Funeral Home in El Dorado, KS, on Friday, May 5, from 4-6 pm.
Memorial Services will be held at the City of Eureka Memorial Hall in Eureka, KS, on Saturday,
May 6 at 11:00 am. Private cemetery services will be held at a later time.
Memorial Contributions may be made to the Babson Midwest Memorial Foundation or the
Greenwood County Historical Society, in care of Carlson Funeral Home.

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