Marian (Hamp) Nixon  

To many, she was known as the wife of Joe Nixon, publisher of the Wabash Plain Dealer and president of Nixon Newspapers Inc.

However, to her friends she was a "promoter of music," "a strong supporter of the Honeywell House," "a lovely person" and "one of the finest people I've ever known."

Marian H. Nixon, 86, passed away Sunday night at Miller's Merry Manor, Warsaw.

Richard Ford, former chairman of the Honeywell House board of overseers, said, "I believe Marian was on the first Indiana State Arts Commission.

"She was well qualified to do that," he continued, "and she was very proud of that."

According to Plain Dealer accounts, Mrs. Nixon served on the commission in 1969, was named to a four-year term in 1970 and another four-year term in 1973.

In 1973 she was also appointed to full membership on the Indiana State Symphony Board for the coming year, a Plain Dealer story said.
Mrs. Nixon came from a newspaper family in Kokomo and she and her husband first lived in Peru.
"Mrs. Nixon has been an active member of the Wabash Unit for 19 years and during that time has served as chairman of many committees as well as chairman of the Wabash Unit. In addition to maintaining active involvement in the local unit, Mrs. Nixon also served as secretary of the state council of the Women's Committee for three years," the story added.

"She emulated her step-mother-in-law (Mrs. Mark Honeywell), who was Wabash's No.1 supporter of the arts," Ford said.

"She was a member of the board of overseers of the Honeywell House for many years, and was still attending meetings last year. Her daughter Jeanie is on the board now," he added
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He also recalled her involvement in Culver Military Academy, now The Culver Academies. She was the founding president of the CMA Mothers Club.
The Nixons had a summer home on Lake Maxinkuckee, across the lake from Culver.

"Marian was also a strong supporter of the ISO. She went to concerts all the time," Ford continued.

Evelyn Magner, a longtime member of the ISO's Wabash Unit, also remembers Mrs. Nixon's dedication to the symphony.

"She would drive to Kokomo all the time to pick up her mother and go to concerts in Indianapolis. She had a love for the symphony," Mrs. Magner said.

In addition to surviving as its president, Mrs. Nixon was voted "Volunteer of the Year" once. In 1976, Mrs. Magner said she spearheaded a quilt project to raise money for the ISO.

"Members of the Wabash Unit made squares for the quilt and then we had it professionally quilted. It was in the shape of the state.

"On it were the names of the 1939 founders and the 1976 board. The quilt was raffled off and the money donated to the ISO," Mrs. Magner recalled. "The quilt has been returned to Wabash and now hangs in the Honeywell House.

"She was a lovely person to know — she had such a wonderful spirit.

"She also was a faithful member of the Presbyterian Church Choir," Mrs. Magner said. "She never missed. She also was a Sunday school teacher in Peru. She was a very devout person."

Marilyn Ford, another longtime member of the Wabash Unit, also had fond memories of Mrs. Nixon.

"She was such a promoter of music."

Yet another Wabash Unit member, Martha Jones, said, "I knew her for a thousand years. She was so active.

"She was one of the finest people I've ever known. I never heard her say an unkind word. She was a wonderful, wonderful person and hostess.

"She worked very hard at whatever she did, and she still had time to crochet shawls for friends," Mrs. Jones said.

Mrs. Nixon also helped found and served on the Wabash Valley Civic Music Association board, the M.W. Harrison Class (a prominent local study group), a local art appreciation class and the Dora-New Holland Historical Village Society Inc., a group in the late '60s to save the Dora (Covered) Bridge over the Salamonie River. Mrs. Nixon was the first president of the society.

She also served on the Wabash Valley Dance Theater board.

Arrangements for Mrs. Nixon are pending at the Grandstaff-Hentgen Funeral Service.

Taken from the Wabash Plain Dealer, Wabash, Indiana.
March 15, 2004  

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WARSAW — Marian Hamp Nixon, 85, Culver, died at 10:30 p.m. Sunday, March 14, 2004, at Miller's Merry Manor.

She was born on May 15, 1918, in Indianapolis, to Robert J. and Dorothy (Kautz) Hamp. She married Joseph Henry Nixon on July 18, 1940, at Crystal Lake, Michigan. He died on Dec. 20, 1988.

Mrs. Nixon graduated as the "Good Citizen of Kokomo High School Class of 1936." She attended the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Ark., from 1936 to 1938, where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. She received a bachelor of science degree in elementary education from National College, Evanston, Ill., in 1940. She lived in Peru and moved to Wabash in 1954.

She was a partner and secretary of the board of directors at the Kokomo Tribune until 1980. She also was a feature writer for Nixon Newspapers.

She was a founder and first president of the Culver Mothers' Club from 1960 to 1962 at Culver Military Academy. She was on the Indiana University-Kokomo Advisory Board Emeritus.

She was active in the Wabash Presbyterian Church and was a member of the M.W. Harrison study group, Wabash Musicale and the Indiana Arts Commission. She was a founding member of the Wabash Valley Civic Music Association, and a past president of the Indianapolis Symphony Society. She was a member of the ballet board of Pauline Geyer's Wabash Valley Dance Theatre, the Honeywell House Board of Overseers, the Wabash Historical Society, the Antiquarian Society of Culver, Lake Maxinkuckee Environmental Council, and participated in the Indiana University Alzheimer's Core Study. She worked to save the Dora Bridge in Wabash County in 1965. She moved from Wabash to Lake Maxinkuckee in 1989
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Surviving are two daughters, Joan Elizabeth Nixon, New York, N.Y., and Eugenia Fulkerson, Warsaw; two sons, Don Morrison (Judy) Nixon II, Carmel, and Joseph Henry Nixon, Santa Cruz, Calif.; three brothers, Robert J. Hamp, Houghton Lake, Mich., Dr. Arthur (Jerrie) Hamp, Grand Rapids, Mich., and David (Cynthia) Hamp, Mercer Isle, Wash.; a sister, Mrs. Raymond (Juliana) Mehlig, Kokomo; nine grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. An infant son, John Arthur Kautz, died in 1960.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Wabash Presbyterian Church. The Rev. John Ritchie will officiate. Burial will be in Falls Cemetery.

Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Grandstaff-Hentgen Manchester Avenue Chapel.

Preferred memorials are to the Culver Military Academy or Women's Committee of the Indianapolis Symphony.

The memorial guest book for Mrs. Nixon can be signed on-line at www.grandstaff-hentgen.com.

Taken from the Wabash Plain Dealer, Wabash, Indiana.
March 16, 2004


Marian Hamp Nixon, 85, of Culver, IN, died Sunday, March 14, 2004, at 10:30 p.m. at Millers Merry Manor in Warsaw. She was born May 15, 1918, in Indianapolis to Robert J. Hamp and Dorothy Kautz. She married Joseph Henry Nixon on July 18, 1940, in Crystal Lake, Michigan. He died Dec. 20, 1988. She graduated as the "Good Citizen of Kokomo High School Class of 1936". She attended University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 1936-38, a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority. She earned a BS in Elementary Education from National College, Evanston, IL in 1940. She lived in Peru, IN and moved to Wabash in 1954. She was Partner and Secretary of Board of Directors at the Kokomo Tribune until 1980. She was feature writer for Nixon Newspapers. She was active in Wabash Presbyterian Church. She was a founder and 1st president of the Culver Mothers' Club 1960-62, Culver Military Academy. She was on the IU-Kokomo Advisory Board Emeritus. She belonged to the Wabash M.W. Harrison, study group, Wabash Musicale, and the Indiana Arts Commission. She worked to save the Dora Bridge in Wabash County in 1965. She was a founding member Wabash Valley Civic Music Assn., and a past president of the Indianapolis Symphony Society, and belonged to the Ballet Board with Pauline Geyer's Wabash Valley Dance Theatre. A member of the Honeywell House Board of Overseers, and the Wabash Historical Society, she was a member of the Antiquarian Society of Culver; Lake Maxinkuckee Enviornmental Council and she participated in the Indiana University Altzheimer's Core Study. She moved from Wabash to Lake Maxinkuckee in 1989. . She is survived by two daughters, Joan Elizabeth Nixon of New York, NY, Eugenia Fulkerson of Warsaw, IN; two sons, Don Morrison (Judy) Nixon II of Carmel, IN, Joseph Henry Nixon of Santa Cruz, CA; three brothers, Robert J. Hamp of Houghton Lake, MI, Dr. Arthur (Jerrie) Hamp of Grand Rapids, MI, David (Cynthia) Hamp of Mercer Isle, Wa; one sister, Mrs. Raymond (Juliana) Mehlig of Kokomo, IN; nine grandchildren, five great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by an infant son, John Arthur Kautz, in 1960. Visitation will be 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 19, at Grandstaff-Hentgen Manchester Ave. Chapel, 1241 Manchester Ave. Wabash, IN. Funeral service will be held at Wabash Presbyterian Church on Sunday, March 21, 2004 at 2 p.m. Burial will be in Falls Cemetery Wabash, IN. The memorial guest book for Marian may be signed on-line at WWW.grandstaff-hentgen.com Preferred memorials to: Culver Military Acadamy or Women's Committee of the Indianapolis Symphony.

Indianapolis Star, The (IN)
Date: March 17, 2004
Edition: FINAL EDITION
Page: B04