Nelson R. Williamson, proprietor of Shadow Lawn Funeral Home, one of the most thoroughly equipped undertaking establishments in this part of Indiana and who has been engaged as a funeral director at Portland for years, is a native of the old Buckeye state, but has been a resident of Indiana and of Jay county since the days of his boyhood. He formerly and for years was engaged as a school teacher in this county and there are few men in the county who have a wider acquaintance than he. Mr. Williamson was born in Hancock county, Ohio, December 23, 1872, and is a son of D. R. and Hannah M. (McKinley) Williamson, both of whom were born in that same county, members of pioneer families in Ohio. D. R. Williamson came to Indiana with his wife and the three children that then had been born to them, in the spring of 1879, and settled on a farm in Noble township, this county, where he established his home and where he is still living, the owner of a well-kept farm of eighty acres and one of the best known men in that community. He and his wife have had seven children, six of whom are still living, those besides the subject of this sketch being John W., Jennie L., Homer E., Robert H. and Dessie.
Nelson R. Williamson was but six years of age when he come to this county with his parents in the spring of 1879 and he was reared on the home farm in. Noble township, receiving his early schooling in the schools of that neighborhood. He early began to teach school, meanwhile attending the old Normal School at Portland during several summer sessions, and for ten years was engaged as a teacher in the district schools. He then took a course in the university at Valparaiso and for three years thereafter was engaged in teaching at Salamonia, this county. In the meantime he had married and made his home at Salamonia. During this time Mr. Williamson became attracted to the undertaking business and took a course in a school of embalming, but did not immediately enter the undertaking field, instead moving to Portland, where he formed a partnership with E. G. Wilhelm in the farm implement and fence business, a line which he followed for three years, or until on April 5, 1906, when he and Mr. Wilhelm sold their place of business. Mr. Williamson then bought the Hines interest in the undertaking firm of Hines & Stolz at Portland. A year later the new firm admitted to partnership F. A. Straley, at the same time buying the old established Cring furniture store, and continued operations under the firm name of Stolz, Williamson & Straley. Two years later Mr. Stolz sold his interest and the remaining partners continued the business for two years, at the end of which time they sold the furniture department and confined themselves exclusively to the undertaking line. Two years later, in 1912, Mr. Williamson bought the interest of his partner, Mr. Straley, and has since been sole proprietor of the establishment the Shadow Lawn Funeral Home, which he has equipped in strictly up-to-date fashion, adding a new chapel and motor equipment.
Mr. Williamson is a Republican and he and his wife are members of the United Brethren Church, in the affairs of which they take an active interest, Mr. Williamson being a member of the board of trustees of the same and the superintendent of the Sunday school. He also is a Freemason and is likewise affiliated with the local lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Junior Order of United American Mechanics.
On August 5, 1899, Nelson R. Williamson was united in marriage to Gertrude V. McBride, who was born in Crawford county, Ohio, daughter of Stephen A. and Emma (Learch) McBride, and who was nine years of age when she came to this county with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Williamson have four children, Darwin J, who was graduated from the Portland high school in the spring of 1921, Juanita, Nadene and Kathleen.
SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp. 61-62. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.