Smyrna times., 1891-05-27
Obituaries.
VIM. w. NELSON.

Obituaries.
VIM. W. NELSON.
When O strong man, who has spent |
his life in the way pointed out by |
Revelation, as best he could, is cut |
down by the great reaper like the rip |
ened sheaf of grain for garnering after
it has filed its mission, it is a matter
of rejoicing more than mourning be-
cause it has in it the "fullness of time"
the rounding out of we'll spent life,
which to prolong, is only to add addi-
tional years of pain.
So it was with VIM. w. Nelson, who
passed away on Saturday last after
some weeks of suffering from a sickness
that set in during the winter from
Bright's disease of the kidneys, having
reached the ripe age of four score
years. Except this sickness, the re-
suit of neglected cold six or eight
months ago, there were very few
men, old or young, who possessed a
stronger constitution or enjoyed better
health. Over 60 years of his life had
been spent in Smyrna and vicinity.
He came here when a boy from East
Vile, on the Eastern Shore of Vir-
giDia, to learn carriage making with
Benson & Cats. Shortly after finish
ing his trade he entered into partner
ship with Jas. B. Ruth in the same
business, but the enterprise did not
succeed and he went to farming on
what has ever since been called the
''NelsOn" farm, between one and two
miles west of BrenfOrd, where be re-
mained until he retired from active
life and moved to this town, about II
years ago.
While in the carriage business he
married Miss Ann Bailey, 1892 who
was sister of Mrs. Cats and the late
Mason Bailey, an estima6le lady, and
the mother of all his children. She
died in l847, and in the second wear
thereafter he married Miss Mary
Jones, who was not only wife but a
mother for his children, whose vir.
tues and whose death five years ago is
well remembered by our citizens, and
who also remember as a part of this
happy family (which was a common
meeting ground for so many persons, J
her mother, Mrs. Ellen Jones, who sur
vived her daughter eight months, hav-
ing arrived within a few years of
rounding out century.
Mr.. Nelson loved his home, and to
few men could such a double stroke
have been greater trial. His second
severe affective dispensation was the
loss of his son Wm. Fletcher, who en-.
listed in the war from pure patriotism,
and who lost his life in the mine ex.
plosiOn before Petersburg. Of nine
children five reached maturity, the re-
naming ones being Mrs. Wm. S. Jones'
John b. Nelson, Mrs. James T. Truax,
and Mrs. Jonathan A. Brown.
VIM. W. Nelson was man of strong
character, and of natural excellent en-
dowments: under other circumstances
than those attending his youth and the
shading of his early life from the habits
and sentiments of the time, this might
have been more manifest. To him
every thing Was subservient to religion
and the impress made on his young
mind by the fervOr of the period was. !
, warm heart and the walk in a yer,
, straight and narrow way. A man o
, strong convictions, and seeing in tn,
[ lives OF many others that those WHIT
, deviated from the straight path O
! active faith and singleness of purpose
became worldly minded or lost by th,
J wayside, he held on with greater ten
I acity to the religion of the fathers,
! religion that brought Joy to the hear
/ aud tears to the eye. Under such
= tutelage his nature was essential,
q emotional, and those who did no
/ know him intimately did not know tn
! strong mental strata that under othe
n circumstances and directions nigh
: have developed strong, vide, con
:. spicuOus life.
3 Mr.. Nelson had his religious birth il
# the heroic days of Methodism, and be
# ing son of such spiritual giants a
n Father Sharp and Henry King, borl
i in the midst of the revival fame c
t 1929, when John A. Roche, Josep
Is Mann, James A. Massey, John A
3 Ruth, VIM. Maginnes, Pennel Coombe
e James WOOls and James Nichols wer
q carried from our workshops and fror
behind the counters into the pulpit an
i others into the highest. duties of lay
J men, 1t was very natural that Mr.. Ne
', son should have been a "stalwarLn fror
= the first in the religious life. As b
9. started out so he maintained the flgh
1i personally, to the end, for more tina
!. three score years, his chief lament b,
Of ing that the fires at the altars of th
n church had lost the glow that charal
terzed their earlier days,
,e lie Alled in his life all the active du
D, ties OF the chulOh, his most cOnspicl
\. Gus place being that of class leade
4. which he filled until the past few yea
i. when he felt his advancing age excuse
him. In no one thing however will b
be remembered so well as 10 his Gift
public prayer where his mental Qualit
because cultivated on this line. becau
n more conspicuous. It has been sa
1. that power in prayer was distinguis
re ing feature of the early Metl Odist
al He had the confidence of approach, q
at unctiOn IN manner and voice, a fait
10 that brought the seen and unseen
3. close communion, and very often in
choice OF words IN variety, diction al
Nv elOqueuce that was astonishing. In 8
If that went To make up earnestness, d.
* votion and gift, we may ne'er hear b
a like again.
In dwelling on his religious sid
nj which was his strong side, it must n
n. be inferred that he was lost TO ever
nv thing else. He recognized aud fill,
re all his duties as a citizen. His patric
8 ism was little less intense than his r
ligion, and it can be said Of him thi
al in all his obligations, secular, religion
ne and political, he followed with ra
A. fidelity the leading of his most hone
az convictions. A large cOncOurse
ld friends met at his late residence Yt
Of terday on Mt. Vernon street, and aft,
the funeral services oonducted hv Re
ies w. w. W, Wilson and Presiding Eld
n. Smith, the remains were laid to reat
70. GlenwoOd Cemetery.
lly JOHN II. BEwLEY.
That Unsuitable reaper, death, wi
In has been cutting such o wide swa
ed recently IN our community took a