Charlie Nickel is the chef for Kamiah’s free barbeque, preparing and watching over the roast beef and beans to serve at Kamiah’s annual Barbeque Day on Labor Day weekend.
On Aug. 14, 1947, Charles William Nickel, named after his paternal grandfather, was born in Lewiston, Idaho, the son of Johnny and Patty Jean (Fox) Nickel. A year or so later, his little sister, Penny, joined the family, both growing up in Kamiah, Idaho.
Charlie went all twelve years in the Kamiah schools, graduating from high school in 1965. Following graduation, he attended the College of Idaho in Pocatello, majoring in pharmacy, then later changed his major to electronics. “In ’73, my dad needed me, so I came home to help my dad with his cows,” he said.
Later, Charlie worked as a skidder operator for Dabco for several years. Following that, he spent a year and a half at the Kamiah Casino as a floor technician, then was assigned a supervisor position, working for 19 years until his retirement.
Johnny and Patty had bought a dry goods business from Roy and Lois Bryant and ran that store for many years. Charlie and Penny sometimes helped their folks at the store, especially during the Christmas season, wrapping gifts for customers. They learned to cook at an early age, having dinner ready for the family when mom and dad got home from work.
Charlie and Penny often helped their grandparents, Charles and Lillian, who were custodians for the schools, with chores like cleaning the classrooms at night. The kids had fun pushing the big brooms and sweeping the floors. This also allowed their grandparents to have more time at home in the evening.
The winters were snowy, cold and freezing. When Lawyer’s Creek was frozen over, the kids and their friends would go down to the creek and break up the ice with a sledgehammer, pack as much ice as they could carry back up to their grandparents’ house, take turns to crank the machine, and then ate ice cream.
Mischief was often at play at the Nickel home when Charlie had friends over. His parents had a riding lawn mower and newly planted trees on the property. While mowing the lawn, sometimes a newly planted tree would suffer a cut, so they would then tape the tree parts back together, hoping it would not be noticed.
Charlie is a member of the Chamber of Commerce. He took over the job of chef for the Kamiah Barbeque in the early 1990s when his father, who had been the chef since 1959, was no longer able to do the job. His job entails the purchase of all food and serving items to be used for the barbeque and cooking of the beef and beans. It is a huge job, and Charlie does it well. He continues the legacy.
