I sailed through the Narrows aboard the USS General Muir in April of 1953 for a two-year assignment at Fort Pepperrell; a 19-year-old farm boy from South Texas who had never been out of state; I was fascinated by the beauty of Newfoundland. To make a long story short: I fell in love with Newfoundland, and with a Newfoundlander that has been my wife going on 58 years; once married, my tour was extended to three years. Which brings me to the subject of my article: as I read "Bringing John Home," my father-in-law (George Roosevelt Nicholl) came to mind; 'Dad Nicholl' was born in St. John's and lived on Gilbert Street. And, as with John Crotty, his childhood was cut short with the death of his father, Leonard Nicholl, who was aboard the Florizel when it sank. His body was one of several that were not recovered. Ten-year-old George bid his father farewell, never to see him again; there would be no funeral, no grave to visit, no closure. 'Dad Nicholl,' the eldest of five brothers, became the sole support of a mother and four brothers; "Someone had to provide for the family, and as the oldest boy, the task fell on me," he said with a smile, "and I would do it again." Delivering messages took him to all areas of St. John's, and often to ships docked offshore. There were no bicycles; messages were delivered by foot, or whatever means available. "I remember rowing to the Exotic and the Seabird on a borrowed dory; that was hard work, but fun as well." During his long tenure of service, he worked as Messenger, Letter Carrier, Mail Sorter and Railway Mail Clerk; the latter position would take him to most outports. Although he only possessed a 6th grade education, 'Dad Nicholl' rose "through the ranks" from messenger boy to Personnel Supervisor. He retired at age 66 with nearly 53 years of active service; the longest tenure of service in the Canadian Postal Service, not only in Newfoundland, but throughout Canada as well. On his retirement, he was recognized with a service award signed by Prime Minister Trudeau for his invaluable contribution to the Canadian Postal Service. "I was good to the Post Office, and the Postal Service was good to me," he was quoted as saying at his retirement. When asked to share the secret for his long and successful career: "Always arrive on time and give your boss an honest day's work; it's as simple as that." Simple indeed! Dad married Violet Pollet from New Harbour. They had five daughters and one son; sad to say that Mom Nicholl died in 1967. On becoming a widower, Dad became a world traveller, and avid photographer. His travels took him to Europe, Africa, many of the United States and Mexico. No Tea in Tupelo While visiting the birthplace of Elvis Presley, we stopped for a mid-afternoon tea. "Tea, please," Dad told the server. "Right away, sir," she replied, and soon returned with a huge glass of tea brimming with ice cubes. "But what I wanted was a cup of hot tea," Dad told the lady. "Sorry, sir, we only serve iced tea." Dad didn't get his tea in Tupelo, Mississippi... Never Too Old to Learn Though due to circumstances, hr was unable to attend school as a youth, he made up for it during his retirement years. He studied the French language at Memorial University, then spent summer with a non-English-speaking family in France; while visiting Mexico, he became acquainted with the culture and language. Proud Newfoundlander "My father-in-law is Canadian," I would say by way of introduction to friends. "Newfoundlander, Roger, I am a Newfoundlander; I may live in a Canadian Province, but I will always be a Newfoundlander," he would quickly correct me. Faithful Man Church was important to this hard-working, God-fearing family man. While inclement weather may have kept many at home, he would tow the younger children across the fields to church in a sled. The trek from 265 Blackmarsh Road to St. Paul's United Church was a fair distance, but that did not stop him. "Didn't you find it difficult?" I asked him. "Yes," he said, "but we couldn't miss prayers." Dad left his descendants a legacy of faithfulness to God and service to his country. On his retirement, he was quoted as saying, "I remember reporting for my first day of work on a beautiful sunny morning, and I still recall the delight with my new job and new-found wealth of 49 cents per day." As I look at my own thirteen-year-old great-grandsons at play, I marvel that one so young would assume such an important role; George Roosevelt Nicholl was truly a 'hardy Newfoundlander!' Dad's tenure of service may have been surpassed by another Newfoundlander (Edgar Walters) who was still serving at the time of Mister Nicholl's retirement. That being the case, the honour of longest tenure of service will remain in Newfoundland. I am confident that there are countless numbers of individuals such as John Crotty and George Nicholl - boys that became men overnight, but succeeded in spite of adverse circumstances. It was my privilege and good fortune to have become acquainted with George Roosevelt Nicholl as my father-in-law and friend. Roger Herrera Photo: Dad Nicholl in Mississippi, hefting a pumpkin.   Submitted By: NULL