Gerald Irvin Williamson

Gerald Irvin Williamson

Sheldon, Iowa

Gerald Irvin Williamson, age 97, of Sheldon, Iowa passed away on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at the Sanford Sheldon Senior Care in Sheldon, Iowa. His funeral will be at 10:30 A.M. on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at the Cornerstone United Reformed Church in Sanborn, Iowa with Pastor Daniel Donovan ~ Officiating.

Burial with a 1:00 P.M. Graveside Service will be in the East Lawn Cemetery in Sheldon, Iowa

Visitation with the family present from 5-7 P.M.  on Monday, April 17, 2023 at the Andringa Funeral Home in Sheldon.

The Service will be Livestreamed on You Tube Cornerstone United Reformed Church website.

Arrangements are under the care of the Andringa Funeral Home - Sheldon

IN LOVING MEMORY OF

GERALD IRVIN WILLIAMSON

BORN

May 19, 1925

Des Moines, Iowa

PASSED AWAY

April 12, 2023

 Sheldon, Iowa

FUNERAL SERVICE

10:30 A.M. Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Cornerstone United Reformed Church; Sanborn, Iowa

Rev. Dan Donovan ~ Officiating

CONGREGATIONAL HYMNS

“Psalm 23”  Handout

“Psalm 119”  Handout

“Psalm 91”  Handout

“Psalm 16”  Handout

CASKET BEARERS

Daniel Engelsman                            Greg Engelsman

Billy Pollema                                          Craig Heynen

David Heynen                                      Philip Heynen

Vincent DeGroot

FINAL RESTING PLACE

Graveside Service

 1:00 P.M. Tuesday, April 18, 2023

 East Lawn Cemetery

Sheldon, Iowa

The Service will be Livestreamed on You Tube:

Cornerstone United Reformed Church website.

After today’s service, relatives and friends are invited to join the family in the fellowship hall of the church for lunch and fellowship.

Arrangements are under the care of the

Andringa Funeral Home, Sheldon, Iowa.

    Gerald Irvin Williamson was born May 19, 1925 at Des Moines Methodist Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa. He was the middle child of 5 to Robert and Mary (Hutchison) Williamson, they were a Bible believing family and belonged to U.P.C.N.A... He attended grade school in Des Moines and graduated from Johnson Consolidated High School in 1943. Gerald was drafted into the U.S. Army at the age of 18, doing his basic training at Ft. Benning Georgia and served in the 184 Army Ground Forces Band. On May 3, 1944, he was united in marriage to Doris Short in Phoenix City, Alabama by Rev. John Calvin Reed. He was Honorably Discharged from the service in April of 1946. Gerald decided that he wanted to be a lawyer and enrolled at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. At 21 years of age, he was converted and felt a strong calling to the ministry, so he enrolled in pre-ministerial at Drake, followed by enrollment at Pitts-Xenia Seminary in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. While there, under the teaching of John Gerstner, he became convinced of the doctrinal formulation of the Canons of Dort and the Westminster Confession. During this period, he served as a student pastor in New Bedford, PA... A pile of dusty old books which were going to be thrown away at the church among which was the official doctrinal document containing the Westminster Confession, the Longer and Shorter Catechism and the testimony of the “old” U.P.C.N.A. (1858-1925). Studying this, he realized what had happened to this formerly solid denomination, as was the case with many denominations in the U.S.A. at that time. He became pastor of New Bedford’s church followed by a pastorate in Monticello, Arkansas at an Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, which also still adhered to the standards. From there, he moved his family, now including their young daughters to Tiverton, Rhode Island, where with his congregation they moved from U.P. to O.P.C... In 1963, G.I. received a call from a Reformed church in Auckland, New Zealand, consisting primarily of young Dutch immigrants. He, his wife Doris and his 2 younger daughters moved there, traveling across the entire U.S.A. and then the Pacific Ocean by ocean liner, leaving behind their eldest daughter, Sandra at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa. This was a joyful ministerial experience helping to build this new denomination in warm fellowship with the O.P.C… In 1969. G.I. received a call to Park City Reformed Presbyterian Park City, Kansas and ministered there for 4 years. After this G.I. and Doris returned to New Zealand and ministered in Silverstream, New Zealand. In 1983, they moved to Carson, North Dakota to Grace Church, O.P.C… In 1993, they retired to Sheldon, Iowa where G.I. continued to preach, write, edit the magazine Ordained Servant. He did extensive travelling in the 80’s and 90’s, going to Cyprus, Egypt, Europe, Africa to teach and preach. His life experience and convictions made G.I. an enthusiastic supporter of the reformed effort culminating in the formation of the United Reformed Church of which he and his wife (late wife), Doris were associate members of.

     G.I. is survived by his daughters, Nancy (Gary) Hibner of Schertz, Texas and Cathy (Dan) Engelsman of Sheldon; 11 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great-grandchildren as well as other relatives and friends.

     He was preceded in death by his wife, Doris; a daughter and her husband, Sandra and Gary Heynen; his parents, Robert and Mary Williamson; brother, Bob and 2 sisters, Dorothy and Annabelle.