Allen Nicholson, 80, of Rock Island, passed away on Monday, April 11, 2016 at home.  A funeral service for Allen will be held at 11:00am on Wednesday at the Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home and Crematory, 3030 7th Ave., Rock Island.  Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the funeral home.  Memorials may be made in care of the family.

Allen was born on March 25, 1936 in Louisville, MS, a son of John Henry and Minnie Hill Nicholson.  He graduated from Alcorn State University in Mississippi, majoring in English.  He married Marjorie Pettie in October of 1965 at Second Baptist Church in Rock Island.  She passed away on May 5, 2013.  Allen worked as a machinist at Farmall/Navistar for 33 years, retiring in 1995.

Allen was a member of UAW Local 1309 and loved playing the lottery and fishing.

Left to cherish his memory are his children, Gerald (Lynette) Nicholson, Waite Park, MN, Gregory (Gwendolyn) Smith, Indianapolis, IN, William Smith, Rock Island and Gloria (Mark) Meadows, Rock Island; 12 grandchildren; a host of great grandchildren and great great grandchildren; sisters, Minnie Babers and Margie Bragg and sons in law, Leslie Thomas and John Carr.

He was preceded in death by his wife; parents; daughters, Yvonne Nicholson, Sonya Thomas and Valerie Carr; sisters, Nancy Harris and Ella Mae Holly; brothers, George Nicholson, J.B. Nicholson and John Allen Nicholson