William Gay Nixon

  General Notes:

William and Lillie were twins. According to the 1870 Michigan Census, when William was four years old, he lived in Sciota Township, Shiawassee County. The family used the post office in Laingsburg. In all probability, this is where he was born.

William Gay Nixon was a prominent Methodist minister in Detroit in the early 1900s. He and his wife Nettie had seven children. East Grand Boulevard Methodist Church is one of the Churches where he was minister.

From 1910 to 1916 William Gay Nixon was minister at First Methodist Church in Pointiac. Two small windows on the front of the church are memorials to William and his wife Jennette. While minister, the Church was re-decorated, the old gas fixtures were removed, and electric lights installed. The Sunday School Room was subdivided with canvas curtains to form eight classrooms. These were lowered from the ceiling. The Church plant was also improved with additions made to the kitchen.

Simpson Park Campground in Romeo, Michigan, was begun as the Romeo District Summer Camp for the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1865. After the 1890s, it was operated by a private association made up predominately of United Methodists. In 1907, it was reorganized and the Reverend William G. Nixon was elected its first president. A tabernacle was built and named in his honor in 1910.

The following was a tribute written by a layman, John Engle, and appearing in the church bulletin the Sunday following the death of Dr. Nixon.


FAITHFUL

A Church crushed by sorrow at the loss of its Pastor and friend can find no single word that better epitomizes his character and ministry.

Faithful to the Gospel of Christ through over thirty years of preaching and ministry; faithful to this church during a period of months of physical breakdown when in the case of any but one of his indomitable spirit self-interest would have called for rest and recuperation; faithful, on the very night of his translation, to his duty in the prayer meeting, when he should have been under the doctor's care.

His loss to this Church is irreparable. His long experience was needed as we stand on the brink of our building program. His deep spirituality was needed in a world and a community drifting toward materialism. A multitude of friends needed his earthly years of distinctly evangelistic ministry, found the Christ with their hands in his, will feel that the greatest earthly influence in their lives has gone.

His loss will be felt more than locally. Throughout the length and breadth of this land, where his voice was heard in fervent evangelistic appeal, and life-long friends made, tears will this day be shed.

For her who today lives deprived of the support and presence of one with whom she walked through many years of happiness and perfect home life, the prayers of the Church ascend to God for her strengthening and comfort. His people extend to his children, in whom he had such pride, affectionate sympathy, rejoicing with them in the splendid heritage that is theirs, in the memories of a life lived as this one was.

"Farewell, William G. Nixon, faithful minister of Christ, crusader for the right, pastor, friend, spiritual leader, until the Morning."

  Noted events in his life were:

• Residence, 1900, Chesaning, Saginaw County, Michigan.

William married Jennette Sherman, daughter of John D Sherman and Sarah J. Potter, in 1888 in Owosso, Michigan.²⁸⁸ (Jennette Sherman was born in 1867 in Michigan ²⁸⁹.)