Nicholas_Kenneth_8 Dec. 1909
Ontario, Calif. – Kenneth B. Nicholas, 42, 722 N. Vine Ave., Ontario, widely known contractor, died Thursday morning, Nov. 6, at the Ontario Community Hospital from injuries incurred when a dump truck backed over him at the site of the San Antonio dam on October 24,. Injured at the same time was John H. Heinmillier, who has now been released from the hospital.
Kenneth Nicholas was born at Malad, Dec. 8, 1909, a son of William H. and Margaret Evans Nicholas.
A self made man, he climbed the ladder from a laborer to a successful contractor, his first contract job bid being $18,000 and his last $460,156. A former Idaho friend was instrumental in getting him his first job in the State Highway in Los Angeles County.
He served as a carpenter superintendent for James H. Taylor while building a bridge and underpass near Palm Springs for J.F. Shay Co., during the construction of a tunnel connected with T.V.A. in Tennessee, and as carpenter foreman for Kaisers Fontana Steel Mill.
At this time he had obtained an A.1 Engineering Contractors License. He built several footings for various structures including a plate mill under private construction. In partnership with Dinnet & Taylor, a large bridge was constructed near Covina, Calif. Under his own contract, a large reservoir was constructed at Fontana, an overpass two blocks long in San Bernardino, a reservoir at Whittier, the incinerator building for the city of Pomona, a bridge at Workmen Mill Road for the Army Engineer flood center project and at the time of his death, he was well advanced in the construction of the outlet structure for the multi-million dollar flood control dam at the mouth of the canyon north of Claremont. A government contract for $460,156 was awarded him last March. The job was more than half completed when he and a U.S. army Engineer assigned to the project were accidentally run down by a backing dump truck.
He was affiliated with the Southern California Chapter of Associated General Contractors. Testifying to character, Army Engineers said Mr. Nicholas always had his jobs so anyone could move in on them. The City Council of Pomona wrote into the minutes of its meeting a letter thanking him for the excellent help and cooperation that he had given them over and above the duties of a general contractor while constructing the incinerator building for the city of Pomona.
He has lived in California for the past 19 years and has been a resident of Ontario for 10 years. Besides his widow, Eva, he is survived by one daughter, Barbara Jean, his mother, Mrs. Margaret E. Nicholas, Malad, and two sisters; Mrs. Edgar Hansen, Los Angeles, and Mrs. C.A. Marlowe, San Rafael, Calif.
Funeral services were held Saturday morning Nov. 8 at 10 o’clock in Richardson-Peterson Chapel, Ontario, the Rev. C. Eugene Barnard of Westminister Presbyterian Church officiating. Entombment was made in Bellevue Mausoleum.