The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-12
OBITUARY
NEHEMIAH HICKS
(From woonsocket Reporter.)

! IT rom WOOIlSDthel ItepOI lcIsJ
Nehemiah Hicks, a retired cotton mill
superintendent, formerly of this city,
died Monday in West Sutton, Mass, in
his I'D year, having sustained a shock
a few days ago.
Mr.. Hicks was born in Gloucester, r.
/ /, and early entered the mill. He be-
| came an overseer and for some years
| had charge of a carding department of
{ the Grant mill Carpenter Street, Prov
idenCe. About 1859 he was engaged on
the installation of the machinery in
| the Hamlet mills, Woonsocket. John A
| Bennett, who for many years afterward
was superintendent of the Hamlet mill,
was fellow overseer with Mr. Hicks
! in Providence. Mr.. Hicks was also OV-
erseer Of a mill in Bristol for a time.
From 1860 to 1867 he vas agent of the
/ Victory mills, Saratoga, n. Y, and then
from that time until 1872 agent of a
cotton mill at Enterprise, Miss, which
| he built and started, being one of the
pioneers of this industry in the cot
! ton states. He came north and short
! ly became agent of the Mechanics mill,
| AttleborO, Mass, where he remained II
years. About 1890 he went to the
Messrs. Skaters Sutton Manufacturing
{ Company's mill, and had charge of the
plant at WilkinsOnville for seven years.
Then he retired and lived in Riverside,
/ r. l., a year. From thence he removed
to WOOnsocket, engaging for short
time in the machine business with
/ George A. Metcalf, on Park Avenue,
and later owning a grocery on that av-
enue, near Pine Street. After the death
/ of his wife in 1897 he removed to
| Swansea, Mass. and had lately been
| visiting a relative, Mrs. Arthur Rice,
at Millbury.
He was an eminently practical and
successful manufacturer and left each
1 place where he was employed to the
regret of his employers. He had a
| large experience in starting new plants
and rebuilding old ones, and was a
practical machinist. Self-educated, he
acquired a varied fund of knowledge
which he could readily impart. He was
| of social nature ana generous i'm
pulses.
! Mr.. Hicks was twice married. His
second wife, Mrs. Mary (Rounds) Har-
old of Providence, he married in 1859.
| Rev. Joseph Cook. the eminent lee
turer, who recently died in Boston, per-
! forming the ceremony. Mrs. Hicks died
/ suddenly of apoplexy Nov. g. 1897, at
her home at Park Avenue and Craw-
ford Street this city Her death af-
/ fected Mr.. Hicks health for a long
time, but lately he had been somewhat
better.
! He leaves no children. He was the
youngest of a large family, of which
the only survivors are Merrill E. Hicks,
who for many years. until his recent
retirement, bore the title of the Oldest
Providence fireman, and a sister, Mrs.
Orynda E. DeCosta of 200 Park Ave
nue., this city. Mrs. George A MetCalf
of Park Avenue Is a niece.
Mr.. Hicks was an Odd Fellow and
Free Mason, and had belonged to the
Pythian and other orders. The Odd
Fellows ministered to his comfort in
his last sudden illness and will have
charge of the funeral.
Physically Mr. Hicks had an unusual
| ly impressive presence, being 6 feet 4
inches tall and weighing at one time
/ 260 pounds.
The funeral Will be held at the under
/ taking rooms of Gilbert & Wightman,
North Main Street, Thursday morning
at o'clock, and burial will take place
at Union Village, where the remains of
his wife repose.