Among them are a Vietnam veteran who earned a battlefield commission with the U.S. Army Special Forces and retired as a captain, an oil field equipment inspector and a chef at an Italian restaurant.
The jury panel seated Thursday for Nichols' first-degree murder trial also includes a woman who is married to a McAlester attorney and a mom who, when asked about what she's seen on television, said "If it's not Barney ... I haven't seen it."
District Judge Steven Taylor seated the jurors Thursday afternoon at the Pittsburg County Courthouse, then announced court will reconvene at 9 a.m. on Monday, March 22.
Opening jury instructions and opening statements from prosecutors and defense attorneys are expected to be presented when court resumes.
Speaking from the bench, Taylor said both prosecutors and defense attorneys asked for the one-week delay.
"Part of it has to do with getting the court set up," Taylor said.
Electronic equipment is expected to be used to present part of the evidence in the Nichols trial.
Taylor told the jurors the week off also gives them time to get prepared for the trial, expected to last from four to six months.
Also on Thursday, three male and three female alternate jurors were seated in case any of the regular jurors are unable to complete the trial.
Nichols is being tried on 161 state counts of first-degree murder, along with counts of conspiracy and arson, in the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.
At least three of the jurors have said in closed-door sessions they were living out-of-state when the Oklahoma City bombing occurred.
The jurors who will hear the Nichols case will not be sequestered, but will each lunch together every day. They also will have their own designated parking area.
"You are the most important people in the courtroom," the judge said. "We're always going to operate around your needs."
Taylor said the basic trial schedule will be from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday.
Earlier on Thursday, defense attorney Brian Hermanson asked the larger pool of 42 potential jurors how many of them owned firearms. Most raised their hands.
When he asked how many had attended gun shows, 13 said they had.
Some of those remained on the final panel, either as jurors or alternates.
Hermanson also asked a question that indicated part of his defense could be that Nichols had been duped by Timothy McVeigh, who has already been executed for his role in the bombing.
"Have any of you had a time in your life when you felt you had been used by a friend?" Hermanson asked.
Several jurors said they had.
Oklahoma County Assistant District Attorney Sandra Elliott had previously told jurors much of the state's evidence will come from witnesses, documents and phone records.
She told them not to expect a high-tech light show.
Before seating the jurors, Taylor summoned the 42 potential jurors who were initially qualified for a final one-on-one session behind closed doors Thursday.
They were questioned about a statement made by one of their
fellow potential jurors. The woman told the judge she had overheard three or four others at a Feb. 23 assembly and orientation say they would do whatever they could to get on the jury panel and they had already made a decision.
Although none of the 42 potential jurors seated for cause on Thursday was believed to be among those making the statements, Taylor wanted to question them about the matter.
Following the questioning, one of the 42 was stricken from the panel and replaced by another around 1 p.m.
Before dismissing the final panel on Thursday, Taylor told the jurors they had a big job ahead of them and told them to "stay healthy."
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