Elders' Biographies

This bio page is under development. If you would like to help with its content, please reach out to Ed Sanders at 916.538.4283.

The Nicholson-Young family currently traces its ancestry back to five people who bore seventeen children, who in turn established a generation with fifteen different surnames. Louise Tarver had three children with Jim Young, then 10 with Handy Nicholson. Each of the men had children from relationships prior to Tarver; Nicholson had three children with Chatwain, while Young had one child with Joanna Lucky; collectively, these children and step-children of Louise Tarver are known as "The Seventeen".

Handy Nicholson, Sr.

Born into slavery in Mississippi some time between 1836 and the early 1840's, Handy Nicholson Sr. was described as "mulatto" or "half white", and worked as a farmer. With his first wife Elizabeth Catwain, he had three sons between 1858 and 1868. After her passing, he married Louise (Louisa) Tarver, with whom he had ten children between 1878 and 1898. Handy owned approximately 80 acres of land in Lincoln Parris, Louisiana after purchasing it in 1889 from a former slaveholder and his son. Handy passed away in 1914.

Jim Young(er)

Also referred to by the surname "Younger", not much is known about Jim Young. He and Louise Tarver had three children--a son and two daughters--between 1872 and 1878. Jim died sometime before the 1880 Census.

* The descendants of Jim's son Lull use the surname "Young".

Louise Tarver

Born c. 1854; died xxxx
3 children with Young (187x-7x)
10 children with Nicholson (187x-189x)

Elizabeth Chatwain

Born 18xx; died xxxx
3 children with Nicholson (c. 185x-186x)

Joanne Lucky

Born 18xx; died xxxx
1 child with Young (187x)

All of the above biographical information was derived from the 2017 edition of "A Story of Memories: The Nicholson-Young Family History & Genealogy" written by Dorothy Boatner Morris.

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