Williamson, Harvey G.
6/20/2005
HARVEY G. WILLIAMSON
February 16, 1924 – June 20, 2005
Harvey was born to Arthur and Margaret Ratcliffe Williamson in Manchester, England, on February 16, 1924. The family immigrated to the United States on March 15, 1926. After a short stay in Fort Worth, Texas, they moved to Strawn, Texas, where he attended elementary school. They later moved to Monahans, Texas, where Harvey finished high school. On June 23, 1945, he became a naturalized American citizen in Dallas, Texas.
He married his high school sweetheart Peggy Ice, on August 26, 1945, who preceded him in death on October 4, 1996. To this union was born a son, Kenneth A. Williamson, who lives with his wife March in Mineral Wells, Texas, and a daughter, Marilyn Kay Burgess who lives in Sulphur, Louisiana. In addition he is survived by five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
His education included graduating from Weatherford Junior College, a B.A. from Southern Methodist University in 1944, and a Master of Divinity from Perkins School of Theology in 1947. In 1978 he was awarded a Doctor of Divinity from Centenary College where he was a life member of the Board of Trustees.
During his long and distinguished ministry he served four assignments in the Central Texas Conference including Santo, Gordon, Arlington and Director of the Wesley Foundation at the University of Texas at Arlington. Transferring to the Louisiana Conference he served Deerford UMC, Lakeview UMC in Minden, First UMC in Coushatta, St. Paul’s UMC in Harahan, Ingleside UMC in Baton Rouge, and First UMC in Alexandria. Perhaps his most notable contribution was a District Superintendent on the Lake Charles, Shreveport, Baton Rouge and Lafayette Districts. As I stated at his funeral service, if anyone ever deserved an appointment for life as a Superintendent it would be Harvey Williamson. No one has ever done it better! His last assignment as an active minister was Executive Director of Conference Council on Ministries in Baton Rouge and Conference Secretary. His insight and dedication to this assignment brought accomplishments to the Louisiana Annual Conference for which all of us will be forever in his debt. Layer in retirement he became the volunteer Project Director for the acquisition and construction of what is now the Wesley Conference Center in Woodworth, Louisiana. The completion of Harvey’s life was celebrated June 24, 2005, at his home church of Broadmoor UMC in Baton Rouge. Officiating at his home going was Dr. Bob Burgess, Dr. Stone Caraway, Rev. Doug deGraffenreid and Dr. Kenneth Reed.
Source: Louisiana Conference Journal, 2006; p. 258 Kenneth R. Reed
