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NOTE: From time to time we receive requests for information about the "West Texas Children's Aid Society of Wichita Falls, Texas." We have not been able to establish any link between these two organizations.
The W.A. Nicholas Home was located in Abilene, TexasWilliam Abner Nicholas, Superintendent He was St. Nicholas to more than 1,500 children, giving them homes.
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This page is dedicated to those desiring to know their birth parents. If anyone knows where the records are from this agency, please contact the Web Page Editor at: [email protected] or if you are an adoptee from the W. A. Nicholas agency. Reverend W. A. Nicholas was born in Virginia on June 28, 1854 and died February 04, 1949 in Abilene, Texas. Reverend Nicholas is buried in Babyland, Cedar Hill Cemetery, in the plot of ground given to him years ago for unfortunate children who died. He had often expressed a desire to be buried there.
He is buried in plot # 31 in the Abilene City Cemetery Downtown (Cedar Hill Cemetery) near North 7th and Cottonwood St. On his head stone is written, "West Texas Children's Aid And Welfare Association Rev. W. A. Nicholas, Supt." Click This Link to view his grave site.
Abilene Reporter News -- Tuesday, June 29, 1937The Reverend W. A. Nicholas, superintendent of the West Texas Children's Aid and Welfare association, shown carrying a basket laden with a bright-eyed, chubby-faced youngster, is known to bus drivers and railroad men over the state as "the man with a basket." The photo below was sent in to the Web Site by Mike Ziegenhagen in Abilene, Texas. Click on photo below to view larger version. W. A. Nicholas superintendent of West Texas Children's Aid and Welfare Association, affectionately called Brother Nicholas, by all who know him reached his 83rd birthday yesterday, June 28th. He is celebrating today. A couple with whom he had placed a child came to town Monday for a lengthy conference causing the postponement. Enjoying a three-deck birthday cake, reading greetings from friends and receiving visitors during a quite day at home was the way Brother Nicholas spent his 83rd anniversary. The agile old man -- he's as active as most men at 40 -- was trying to keep cool when a reporter called on him at the height of Monday's heat. He answered the door bell with a hearty "Come in, young man." He led the way to the side of the house where chairs were placed in a cool spot. The kind old gentleman estimated that he had placed 600 babies in homes and 900 older children and that he has helped 1,000 unfortunate girls. His records show, and he stated that 98 per cent of babies he has placed had unmarried mothers. 100 UNFILLED REQUESTS On the association's records he said are 100 requests for babies, which cannot be filled. In connection with this, Brother Nicholas said, "I do not know what you would call it, but for the past few years a regular craze for adopting babies has swept the United Stated. We have 100 requests on file and that is an indication of how it is throughout the nation. A new law passed three years ago gives Texas a good method of adopting children, said Brother Nicholas. The true parents of the child never know where it is placed. They sign a release before a notary that waives all rights for claiming the child. The foster parents, after applying, receive a blank from Austin. The couple return it to Austin and in return receive a certificate. A regular questionnaire is answered by the foster parents. They must have three responsible persons testify regarding their reputation and habits. After the child is adopted then, by law, he has all the rights of a blood child, and he is to be treated the same. Asked how many children he has returned after placing them, Brother Nicholas said, "Only about 2 per cent and the reason for these were deficiencies that could not be seen as the child was too young. HE TELLS THEM Some parents want their children to know that they are adopted and others are bitterly opposed to it. Regarding this Brother Nicholas said, "My advice always is, tell the child that he is adopted so there will be no strained or unnatural relations between him and the family. They always will find it out as they grow older, and sometimes this is a great shock to the child. I know one man who suddenly confronted with the fact that he was adopted, quit his job, left town and started drinking." "Several times I have had the children come to me, after they were grown, and demand to know who their parents were. I talk it over with them, explain the folly of trying to find out. "I tell them that she has grown children, or that she is someone they would not want to know. After laying both sides of the case before them, if they still want to know, I tell them." Continuing Brother Nicholas said, "The foster parents of twin boys came to me one day worried because the children at school had told the children that they were adopted. Naturally, the boys wanted to know the truth. He brought them up and I gave the twins a history of themselves. After they were satisfied, I said,'When you go back to school and someone becomes insulting, just tell them that their parents just had them, but your parents loved you enough to ask for you.'" The asociation is very careful about the placing of babies, Brother Nicholas has to be a diplomat here. The experienced benefactor usually tries to judge from the mother as to what type home the child be given. The mother usually pleads to know where the child is going to be, ' just so she can see it from a distance.' This is where the heartbreak comes in, but the law will not allow Brother Nicholas to tell. When the mother signs the release she will never know where her child is. IN ABILENE 25 YEARS Brother Nicholas came to Abilene 25 years ago and has been in the children's welfare work for 30 years. He was born in West Virginia in 1854 and received his education at Shelton college in West Virginia. His theological work was taken at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary at Louisville, Kentucky. After receiving his degree, he returned to his native state for missionary and ministerial work. Here he was field agent for a state paper. In 1900 he went to Cuba where he engaged in missionary work. After there for six and a half years he went to Silver City, New Mexico. He worked as missionary and pastor for 16 months, and one day a Presbyterian minister preached at his church on welfare work. Brother Nicholas became interested and resigned that week to start work in this field. In 1908, he went to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he stayed until 1912, when he came to Abilene. It was partly due to President J. D. Sandefer of Hardin-Simmons university, then Simmons college, that Brother Nicholas came to this town. Reminiscing, Brother Nicholas recalls that only President Sandefer and Dr. Julius Olsen with the school then are still on the faculty. The wife of the welfare worker died in 1909 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, leaving him with six children. Three are still living. They are Mrs. C. K. (Vida) Borrough of Dallas, George Nicholas of Dallas and Mrs. G. S. (Alice) Vinyard of Amarillo. Brother Nicholas said, "Many people wonder why I am energetic and lively at 83 years of age. I owe it to three things. I have kept busy throughout my life; I have always lived temperately; and I am optmistic." "I shall continue my work as long as I am able. I believe the home, rather than an orphanage, is the place for children. My children are the best-loved and the worst spoiled in the world because of too much loving."
Please Sign Or View The Adoptees Guest Book BelowWe welcome everyone to sign, tell us what you think Post Your Message For Free If you are an adoptee from the West Texas Children's Aid And Welfare Assoc., or have information, photos, stories, or where the records of the West Texas Children's Aid And Welfare may be located, contact Page Editor: John DeBusk or any of the Email addresses listed below.
OUR LINKS: Join Our Mail Group --This Mail Group Forum for adoptees or birthmothers and their families who were aided by W.A Nicholas and the West Texas Children's Aid and Welfare Association. For more information about this Mail Group, contact Ray Mack Thompson [email protected] Carole Paulk's Page -- Photo of a little orphan girl Rev. Nicholas handed out to people, and has a message on back of card, sent in by Carole Paulk, Abilene, Tx., --- newspaper articles, Rev. Nicholas' obituary in 1949. Adoptee John DeBusk -- On 12 February 1933, I was found in a pasteboard box about ten miles west of Abilene, Texas. I have several Abilene newspaper articles on this page about this event. Ray Mack Thompson's Home Page -- Many of you reading this will know that my sister Barbara Jane Coleman and I are both adopted children... So, why would we narrate the details of our adoption? Well it is one of the marvels of being adopted by Neil and Zorene Thompson; they did it right! Addresses By Year -- The addresses by year for the West Texas Childrens Aid And Welfare Orphan's Home in Abilene, Texas and a rare photo of Rev. Nicholas' biological children, sent in by Carole Paulk. Photo Sent In By Ann Crum -- Ann has reported to this Web Site this is a orphans home of W. A. Nicholas in Abilene, Tx in about 1930, sent in by Ann Crum, Killen, AL Old Magazine Article -- Magazine article with photos written about Rev. Nicholas in 1947. This article and photos sent in by adoptee, Billie Wayne Parker, Tahoka, Texas. Our Photos -- Photos of the W. A. Nicholas Orphans Home in Abilene, Tx --- Brother Nicholas' office --- his grave site in the old cemetery near downtown in Abilene --- Carole Paulk's Mother. About Nicholas J. Crain -- Crain assumed Superintendent of The WTCA & W in the early 1950s. He took the place of Brother Nicholas when the old gentleman became too old to operate the organization. TxCARE -- TxCARE Adoption Search Registry, is a free service provided for all family members separated by adoption. J. Harvey Clark's Page -- I was born in Hardeman County in Texas where my birth Mother gave me up for adoption after my Father apparently left her with no forwarding address. Cyndi's List -- of Genelogy Sites on the Internet. Cyndi has more than 123,550 links with an excellent Category for adoption. Texas Dept. of Health -- Bureau of Vital Statistics -- Central Adoption Registry -- you can request confirmation of a possible match from sealed adoption records and birth certificates. The Bureau of Vital Statistics houses and maintains the records from the Children's Aid Society of West Texas (CAS). That agency is not part of or never was associated with Rev. Nicholas' agency. CAS placed some children for the county welfare association. Persons associated with either agency are welcome to contact us. Adoptees may obtain a redacted copy of their record from the CAS via the Central Adoption Registry. PO BOX 140123; Austin TX 78714 512/458-7388 FAX 512/458-7783 Seventy Four Reasons -- Why it's so really great to be an adoptee. Also, 101 really, really, good excuses why you will never be able to obtain any of your adoption records. (1) Click This Link to go to Taylor County TxGenWeb by Gloria B. Mayfield. (2) Click This Link to go to another Taylor County, Texas Web Page by Gloria B. Mayfield, that pertains to Reverend Nicholas. Comedy Show Rev. Nicholas and others participated in a comedy skit in Abilene on March 31, 1933 to raise funds for a highway beautification project. Thanks to Mike Ziegenhagen of Abilene for sending this to the Web Site. E-MAIL Click This Link To View historic old photo St. Ann Hospital on Cedar Street in Abilene, Tx., perhaps late 1930s. Thanks to Mike Ziegenhagen of Abilene for sending this to the Web Site. E-MAIL Murphy's Laws -- Leprechauns -- Irish Blessing -- May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow And may trouble avoid you wherever you go.
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