Joseph Nicholas was born at Parma, Cuyahoga, Ohio, March 31, 1822. Son of Jesse Nicholas and Mary Small; baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at Bountiful, Davis, Utah in 1853 by Bishop John Stoker. The old Nicholas Tavern at Parma, Ohio was owned and operated by Jesse Nicholas until his death when his son Joseph Nicholas operated it.
An interesting thing in his life was when he and Nancy Allen were to be married. The wedding was planned for January 1, 1847. It was necessary for him to cross the Mississippi River to keep his promise to his bride, but the water had risen and was overflowing the banks of the river. Many people told him that he could not make it across, but he was a man who always kept his promise if possible, so he fastened his trunk to the buckboard, hitched his gray mares to it and mounted the seat. The people were on the bank to watch and they tried to persuade him not to attempt to cross. He drove to the bank of the river, spoke to his team and they plunged into the river and swam safely across. All of the people cheered.
He loved horses and took good care of them. When he crossed the plains in 1852, he had the best oxen and horses in the Company.
He was always one who was on hand to do a kindness and help the widows and fatherless. When relatives and friends died at Willard, he washed and prepared their bodies for burial. He also furnished a team and outfit to haul their bodies to their final resting place in the cemetery.
He died at Willard, Utah on 15 October 1888 of dropsy and general debility and was buried in the Willard Cemetery.

MORMON PIONEER OVERLAND TRAIL. The Joseph Nicholas family … Joseph Nicholas (1822-1888), Nancy Allen Nicholas (1827-1905), and Sarah Annette Nicholas (1850-1886) … were part of the Utah Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel migration between 1847-1868.

The specific company in which the family traveled in 1852 was the Benjamin Gardner Company. There were 241 individuals and 25 wagons when the company began its journey from the outfitting post in Kanesville, Iowa (present day Council Bluffs). This church train arrived in the Salt Lake Valley between September 24-27.

Joseph Nicholas served as an assistant captain for the Company. Also traveling with the Company were extended family: Nancy's mother, Eunice Miner Allen (1783-1866), her sister, Sarah Allen Coltrin (1822-1897) and her family and her brother, Jude Allen (1811-1900) and his family.