Jackson always proud of his birthplace-Tryon
Published 6:32 pm Friday, February 19, 2010
To the Editor:
Riding on the bus yesterday in route with family for Nelsons private grave side service, cousin Jim asked if there was any mention of his brother in TDB and I stated that I had e-mailed you the news.
He and Sheila will be delighted upon their return to Tryon when they read the news article and fine obituary. I remember the early 1980s when my aunt Laura and uncle Nelson passed away at both occasions, Nelson II drove the bus with all the family to the services in Tryon.
Nelson was a true legend and will be missed by many especially&bsp; his family. He lived his first fifty years in Tryon before they moved to the beach to begin development of Ocean Lakes. Of the ten cousins of his generation only three remain–his sister Rachel, his brother, Jim,&bsp; and my father. Like his mother and father the Jacksons were blessed with longevity. It must be a result of their roots in the Thermal Belt.
Nelson as an individual lived by the classic axiom–for those who receive much-much is expected and thus, he lived his life based on the ethics he learned as an eagle scout. He and Mary Emilys charities to their church and community are a legacy. He will be missed, but not forgotten.
My last fond memory of Nelson was 2004 when his grandson, John Williamson, and my son graduated from the University of the South. We had a short, but memorable visit at Sewanee and as always he was overly enthusiastic even in poor health he had traveled far to support his grandson on that special occasion.
In short, Nelson was a true Christian gentleman. He was an American by birth who served his country and he was southern by the grace of God and always proud of his birth place–Tryon.
Eddie Chapman