Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-12-07
BRATTLEBORo AEFALRs.


Nathan Birdseyo Williston was born at
Easthampton, Mass, August 18th, 1897. He
was the son Of Rev. Payson Williston, the
pastor Of the church there, and Of Sarah,
daughter Of Rev. Nathan Birdseye Of STRAIT
ford, Conn. His two brothers Samuel Will.
liston Of Easthampton and l. Payson Willis
ton of Northampton, are well remembered
through the Connecticut valley as men Of
worth and influence in the spheres of life
they filled. Both of them died honored and
esteemed some years since.
Nathan, the subject of this brief notice,
left the paternal roof at the age of twelve
years, and was from that time onward de-
pendent on his own resources. lie came to
Brattleboro in 1910 to be clerk in the store
Of Ezra Clark, a dealer in hardware and
drugs. From that time to the present, pc
riod of seventy-three years, his life has been
identified with the history of the town of his
adoption. Possessed of the Fundamental
trait of honesty, and trained in habits of in
dustry and frugality, he won the confidence
of his employer, and after awhile entered in
to partnership with him, and ultimately sue
ceeded TO his business. Later on he took
into partnership with himself his brother.in-
law, Ferdinand Tyler, and still subsequently
Mr.. Chas. f. Thompson.
At the establishment of the Windham
County bank in 1856 he became its president ;
aud when that institution was merged in the
First National bank in 1864, he continued in
the same relationship to that organization,
till his retirement in 1879.
One of the complications of the war peri
cd drew him las it proved unfortunately in
to the carriage manufacture; q business of
which he had no previous knowledge, and of
which the sixteen years history was not one
Of financial success.
In his family relationships Mr.. Williston
was called on to suffer severe trials. His first
wife, Margaret Miller died comparatively
young and the five chilnren she bore to him
were taken, also away. Three of them
reached nearly or quite to years of maturity !;
among them son of bright and promising
endowments, whose loss was a specially Sc
we're stroke; his death frustrating many
hopes and terminating the possibility of the
lineal continuance of bis family name.
His second wife, Caroline Brewster, wom-
an much beloved in the community, was also
removed from him by death leaving him for
the last eleven years without immediate blood
relatives save grandson, Williston Walker,
the child Of his deceased daughter Maria.
Mr.. Williston was a man Of retiring and
modest disposition though of somewhat curt
and brusque manners. He had tender heart,
and many more were the recipients of his
generous kindness than ever the history Of
this world will know. He lived to old age,
however and most of the pensioners OF his
benevolence have passed on before him to
another life.
Mr.. Williston was not solicitous of-per-
haps was not adapted for-much office of
public trust. He did, however serve on the
board of trustees of the Vermont Asylum for
the Insane from 1889 to 1875, and was also
the treasurer of the institution for thirty
years. He was the executor or administrator
of several estates of persons deceased in this
place, and always fulfilled the functions com
mitted to him with painstaking fidelity aud
care.
He was man of slight frame and almost
feeble appearance, but he came Of II long
lived race and was of tenacious vitality. His
bent and almost tottering figure will be miss
ed by the elder inhabitants of the village
from the streets up and down which he has
gone for more than seventy years and from
which he had himself seen so many disappear.
In his religious life Mr. Williston was a man
of naturally doubling and even almost skepti-
cal tendencies. He was, however, sincere
Christian and the church of which be was a
member has had few more loyal supporters
than he has been since his union with 1t fifty
two years ago.
He died, at last, after brief illness his
vitality reluctant to let go its hold, and bat
thing vigorously to the end. He made no pre-
tensions to superiority of virtue or piety but
there cannot be many who have known him
well who can doubt that wherever It is that
the good go when they die, he will be fou nd
in their company.