A woman?s love for music will now provide enjoyment for her church?s congregation for generations to come through a music endowment fund.? Along with Kathy Nicholson?s love of music, she also had a passion for mission work done through her church and was very supportive of mission projects.
?She was so pleased to know that this might be a possibility after her estate was settled,? reported L. L. Lowry, who serves on the Scottsburg United Methodist Church Endowment Committee.? ?These are compassionate gifts she has left for our church and this community.?
Kathy was born May 28, 1956, the daughter of Kenneth Edward and Catherine Jual (Beals) Nicholson, who made their home on North Meridian Street in Scottsburg, Ind. Kathy continued to live at the home place until she passed away on Sept. 13, 2012.
Kathy and her childhood friend, Margaret Comer, first met in Mrs. Lenna Kennedy?s first grade classroom.? Margaret related that from the beginning it was clear that Kathy had a passion for music.? She loved to sing and play the piano.? In fourth grade, Margaret?s parents joined the Scottsburg United Methodist Church where Kathy was a member, and there the two girls began singing special duet numbers for the church as well as singing in the children?s choir. They both enjoyed playing clarinet in the high school band and took music appreciation class from Mr. Schreiber in high school.? Kathy with eagerness shared her latest music discoveries with friends, loaning out her L.P?s.? She loved all genres of music.
Margaret commented, ?Funding for music education typically gets overlooked in communities large and small, but Kathy passionately took full use of all of the music opportunities that our county had to offer.”
Kathy graduated from Scottsburg High School with the Class of 1974 and Spencerian College in 1976 with an associate?s degree. After graduation she worked as a health care transcriptionist and medical coder, an office clerk, EEG clerk and as a quality assistance secretary at the Scott County Memorial Hospital in Scottsburg from 1977 through mid-1995.
Kathy was a member of the Scottsburg United Methodist Church at the time of her death. People who knew her and those who attended SUMC have fond memories of her and remember her beautiful singing voice serving in the church choir.
It was wonderful to watch her using American Sign Language to interpret songs as they were sung, shared a member of the church?s choir. Kathy loved to express herself through the gift of music and would quite often become very excited about a piece of music she heard or saw in a performance and share it with her friends and family.
Handmade crafts, creating art and acting were some of Kathy?s interests and talents in life. She loved animals and was concerned about their welfare. She often made craft items to sell in the church bazaar each year and she had accumulated scores of artistic drawings and paintings during her lifetime. When the church sponsored dinner theater fundraising events, she always enjoyed playing a part in those productions. Kathy loved movie themes, music from old movies and modern musicals as well. She loved opera and MTV.
During her 56 years of life, she never married. She was the major caretaker for her aging parents until her father passed away in 2004 and her mother in 2006. She had several close friends, classmates and a few cousins whom she associated with. When Kathy became ill, she depended on those friends and cousins to care for her. During her hospitalization and illness, she became very close to the Lord and depended on Him minute by minute during that time.
?Her close friends that would visit her in the hospital said Kathy would take their hand and ask them to pray for her, out loud, then and right there!? said one church member who visited with her often.? ?Kathy was kind, compassionate and grateful to everyone that helped her during her illness. She maintained a wonderful sense of humor even in the middle of all her physical trials.?
When Kathy prepared her will, just a few weeks before her passing, it was her request to have two endowment funds set up. One was to assist with the music program at the Scottsburg United Methodist Church and the other to help with mission work in general through church-sponsored mission projects.
?By establishing an endowment fund, this is the perfect way to ensure Kathy?s legacy will endure forever and support the programs that she cared most about,? said Scott County Community Foundation Executive Director Jaime Toppe. ?I invite anyone who is thinking about how to leave a lasting mark on Scott County to consider establishing an endowment fund.?
?Through a matching grant from Lilly Endowment we are able to match qualified donations to endowment funds through March 31, 2016,? shared Toppe. ?This is a wonderful way to help the funds grow to make an even bigger impact in our community.?
For assistance with your charitable giving, or to donate to the Kathy Nicholson Music Endowment Fund or Kathy Nicholson Mission Endowment Fund, please contact the Scott County Community Foundation at 752-2057 or stop in the office at 60 N. Main St., Scottsburg. You may mail tax-deductible contributions to PO Box 25; Scottsburg, IN 47170.
