Charles Wesley Nichols

Charles Wesley Nichols of Arnett, Oklahoma passed from this life on May 3, 2026 in Newman Memorial Hospital, Shattuck Oklahoma. He was born on July 10, 1936 to Leroy and Susie (Davis) Nichols at their ranch home on the west prong of the Frio River, north of Leakey, TX. He was their first child and only son. Five sisters followed him, affectionally calling him “Buddy”; Nola Gail (Gail), Patricia Ann (Pat), Mary Elaine (Elaine), Susan Joynell (Sudie), and Eva Aline (Dusty).

Charles was born into an accomplished family within the Angora goat industry. He had his own herd of goats by the age of seven which he cared for in the Texas Hill Country. By the time he was in high school, that area of Texas was experiencing the severe drought of the 1950’s leaving indelible impacts on his view of land stewardship and grazing intensities.

Charles was a conscientious student and served two years as President of Leakey High School FFA Chapter. He received the Lone Star Farmer Degree and the American Farmer Degree. He traveled to Kansas City by train from Ft. Worth to the National FFA Convention in 1954.

During the severe drought, he stayed alone at the family ranch to care for the remaining livestock and manage the Mexican crews cutting cedars to make posts. He was also driving a bus to Southwest Texas Jr. College in Uvalde TX to help pay his tuition. He next transferred to Texas A&M in College Station, often hitch-hiking there from the Hill Country. His stories of rigorous coursework at A&M during that era astounded later generations. While at A&M, his Wool & Mohair Judging team won 3rd place in the Intercollegiate contest of National Western Livestock Show in Denver, CO with Charles being ranked high man of the contest.

After graduating with a B.S. degree in Animal Husbandry in 1958, he chose graduate work at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, CO until 1961. There, he coached the Wool Judging Team and was an Instructor in Animal Husbandry while he completed his Master of Science Degree in Wool Technology.

In the summer of 1961, Charles came to Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma to complete doctoral work in Animal Breeding with a minor in Physiology under Dr. Joe Whiteman. During this time, his father unexpectedly died back home, prompting his decision to send his mother funds to finish her own degree in teaching so she could support the youngest two sisters.

Upon completing his Ph.D. in 1965, he was hired as the OSU State Extension Animal Breeding Specialist holding that position from 1964 to 1973. One of his primary duties was to travel the state teaching about herd improvement. He worked on the first computer system to process performance records. While at OSU, he met Sherry Davison, an OSU State Extension Food and Nutrition Specialist; they married soon after in 1969.

Charles’ and Sherry’s daughter Jennifer D’Esta was born in 1971 while they were on faculty at OSU. In April 1973, they moved to Arnett, Oklahoma to join Sherry’s parents, Francis and D’Esta Davison as partners in the family’s ranching operation, Davison & Sons Cattle Company. Their daughter Ruth Ann was born shortly after.

Davison & Sons became Charles’ primary professional focus from then forward. Learning from his father-in-law Francis plus knowledge he brought with him from Oklahoma State, Charles endeavored to improve the cow herd as well as the rangeland that was entrusted them. Their numerous landlords, especially the Berryman-Shrewder family depended on them. In step with Charles’ natural character, he desired to do right by his employees and his neighbors. These were his kind of people.

Charles’ leadership involvement in the cattle industry was broad and all encompassing. Through the years he contributed to various boards at Oklahoma State University including the Dean’s Advisory Committee for the College of Agriculture and the Industry Advisory Committee for Oklahoma Food & Ag Products Research & Technology. He provided leadership within the cattle industry as an Executive Board member and President of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, served on the Oklahoma Beef Commission and the Oklahoma Livestock Industry Foundation. The governor appointed him to the Oklahoma Futures Board. He also contributed nationally, holding numerous committee positions in the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board with the USDA. Serving on the Kansas City Federal Reserve Board two terms was an interesting highlight. He took time from ranch duties to attend monthly meetings in Kansas City discussing the regional and national economic indicators.

Locally, Charles contributed to the Arnett School Board and the Newman Memorial Hospital Board of Directors. Charles had a deep interest in the Bible and enjoyed studying it routinely. He was Chairman of the Arnett Christian Church Administrative Board, served as Elder, and class teacher, teaching his last class only two weeks before his death.

Charles enjoyed ranch life, the rural out-of-doors activities of calf work, windmill repair, cedar control with axe and fire, and the never-ending task of maintaining old fence. He was an attentive father, including his girls often in his activities. While Charles would not have called them “hobbies”, he did love gunsmithing, reloading and shooting. He was an avid reader since childhood, reading anything and everything available. He especially liked history and geography, enjoying maps and stamp collecting. Charles was gifted at telling stories, and these will be sorely missed by those who loved him. In recent years, he still shared new ones illustrating his impressively sharp mind and memory.

Charles was preceded in death by his parents Leroy & Susie Nichols and his in-laws Francis & D’Esta Davison. He was also preceded in death by a nephew Kevin Davenport, brothers-in-law Jerry Thomerson and Bob Burditt, and sister-in-law Nancy Davison.

He is survived by his wife Sherry of 57 years; daughter Jennifer and husband Brent Shaw of Norman Oklahoma with their children Brendan & wife Amber, Collin, Alayna and Savannah; daughter Ruth Ann and husband Weston Givens, business partners of Arnett, Oklahoma with their children Will & wife Julianna, Laura & husband Clay, and Lena along with great-grandchildren Luke, Ada, and Charlie. Charles is survived by five sisters Gail, Pat & husband Paul, Elaine & husband Culver, Sudie, and Dusty & husband James; brother-in-law Cecil & wife Nancy Lee. He was “Uncle Buddy” to Travis, Susie, Eddie, Doug, Shelby, Patrick, James, Dustin & Misti; nieces Felicity and Karen Em in Sherry’s family; numerous cousins and extended family. Celebrating his memory are countless friends and colleagues.

Memorial donations may be made toOSU Foundation - Dr. Charles W. Nichols; Oklahoma Cattleman's Association Foundation; or the Newman Memorial Hospital in Shattuck, OKc/o Shaw Funeral HomeP.O. Box 276 Vici, OK 73859