Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Elliot, Wilson 1930
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Lake Odessa Wave, 12 Jun 1930

Early Business Man Dies On Visit Home.

Wilson Elliott Passes at Age of 80 Years.  Came to Lake Odessa in 1891.  Many 
Years Business in Lake Odessa.

There are few people left in this village who were here when Wilson Elliott 
came to Lake Odessa in 1891.  He was a business man in the prime of life at age 
of 41 years.

The town was in its infancy and he probably had as much to do with the up-
building of the village as any other man of his time.  He and Dr. O. C. Russ 
came here together and bought a store of a man by the name of Van Allen where 
the Smelker drug store is now located.  They came here from Naubbinway, a 
little town in the western part of the state.

In the spring of the same year these two men put in a clothing store under the 
management of Mr. Elliott, in the Colwell block just south of their drug store.

The business kept growing until in 1898 they two gentlemen decided to put a up 
a new building and further enlarge their stock.  Thus the building now known as 
the Dr. M. J. Henderson building where the Chevrolet sales agency is located, 
was built at that time.

In 1905 Mr. Russ released his interest in the business and Ed Shellborn who had 
been employed there for the previous five years, bought an interest in the 
business and later became the sole owner.

Mr. Elliott was always interested in the material welfare of the village.  He 
was largely responsible for the grading of the streets especially 4th avenue, 
the putting in of cement side walks, and stone gutters.  He was instrumental 
when president of the village in persuading the village to buy the piece of 
land to be used as a village park.  This was purchased of H. R. Wager, cleaned 
out and is one of the beauty spots of the village.  He was made park 
commissioner.

Mr. Elliott was instrumental with others in the establishment of our splendid 
water system.  He was made chairman of the water works committee and as a 
result of their work we have a supply of water that has tested 90 per cent pure 
with a supply that has never failed even in the greatest drouth.

As old age crept on Mr. Elliott’s activities grew less but he always watched 
with the greatest interest the development of the town he loved so well.

About seven years ago he lost his wife and about that time his only daughter 
married and went to live in the eastern part of the state.

He then went to make his home with her but every year he has made one or more 
visits to the old home town.  His home residence was just west of the school 
house.

Decoration day he arrived for what proved to be his final visit, for on Tuesday 
while conversing with Mrs. Mary Burke at the Burke hotel where he always made 
his head quarters he gently fell asleep and no one realized he had slipped away 
until he failed to respond to the call for supper.  He must have gone out like 
a lighted candle – light burned to the end without a struggle.

His daughter was called and responded immediately, arriving that evening.

The funeral will be held at the Congregational church Friday at 10 a.m. and the 
remains will be taken to Saginaw for burial beside his wife.  He passed his 
80th birthday last December.

He leaves his daughter Mrs. Maxine Deering and three grandchildren whom he 
cherished.

Thus passes one of the early …  [Transcriber’s Note:  This copy of the obituary 
ends here.]


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