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In Remembrance: 'Happy Birthday' to my mother, a former 'sinner saved by grace'

  Remembering my mother, Marsha (Lawson) Somers on her birthday today. She passed away Dec. 31, 1995. This photo was taken in 1954 at the Bothwell Hotel Coffee Shop in Sedalia, Mo. She is the third waitress from the left. I think that mom would want to be remembered as a former sinner who was saved by grace. When she was young, she was lovely in appearance, but as a mature woman in her 60's she received Christ as her savior and she became very zealous for the things of God. Her greatest concern was for her children and grandchildren to come to know Christ.
Recent posts

Charles and Viola Stetzenbach's Obituaries

Charles and Viola Stetzenbach Viola Katheryn (Lawson) Stetzenbach Obituary (7.24.1943 - 4.17.2021) Viola Katheryn Stetzenbach, 77, of Sedalia, died Saturday, April 17, 2021, at her home. There will be a graveside celebration of life service at Miller's Chapel Cemetery to be announced at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or Show-Me Christian Youth Home in care of Rea Funeral Chapel in Sedalia. Arrangements are under the direction of Rea Funeral Chapel. To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our Sympathy Store . Published in SedaliaDemocrat.com from Apr. 20 to Apr. 21, 2021. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Aunt Viola's passing is truly heartbreaking as she was my favorite aunt on my mother's side. I remember her laughter and crazy sense of humor. I also remember how loyal and loving she was to family.  She had a generous spirit and was gifted with the practice of hospitality. She will be missed.  I hop...

Our Patriarch William Lawson and the Overmountain Men

7 Oct 1780 Patriots crush Loyalist militia at Battle of Kings Mountain, North-Carolina. #RevWar #TodayInHistory pic.twitter.com/Nachdm0KwX — Lars D. H. Hedbor (@LarsDHHedbor) October 7, 2019 "On Sept. 13, 1777, at the age of 46, Lawson swore allegiance to the State of Virginia and the American cause as a member of Captain Daniel Trigg’s company of the Montgomery County Militia. This particular company was highly reputed as Indian-fighters, and conducted numerous forays against marauding tribes who were induced to raids by British guns and money. "Perhaps Lawson’s greatest single moment of personal triumph occurred on Oct. 7, 1780, when he found himself among the Overmountain Men who fairly pinned back the ears of the British in the Battle of King’s Mountain. No doubt his memories of Culloden Moor played some part in his own battle-fury as he sent his bullets flying into the ranks of the surrounded redcoats. It was during this battle that he distinguished himself and re...

Governor William Maximillian Stone (1603 – 1660)

Catholic noble , Cecil Calvert , presenting the official document, of the 1649 Acts of Toleration , to the first Protestant , Maryland colonial governor, William Stone, who proclaimed religious protection, to Puritans , in the Province of Maryland - Wikipedia I recently created an account and began assembling our family tree at FamilySearch  and appreciate the work others have done before me.  Once I began filling in names and birth/death dates, FamilySearch sent me clues to others who might be related. I was surprised to find that there is extensive information recorded on the Stone family. My mother would tell me stories about her family and she often mentioned that the Stones were originally from England and were once very wealthy. Mother preferred her Scottish roots, but she respected her more puritanical Stone heritage. So, you can imagine my surprise when scrolling through the Stone family tree and finding we are reportedly descendants of William Maximillian S...

Joseph Reece Lawson (1846 - 1909)

Joseph Reece Lawson  Co. I 1st KY Cavalry - Civil War - Veteran The First Kentucky Cavalry, commonly known as “Wolford’s Cavalry, was organized at Camp Dick Robinson, under Colonel Frank Wolford, and mustered into the United States service on the 28th day of October, 1861, The regiment was placed upon active duty and participated in many skirmishes and all the early battles in Kentucky. Acquiring great efficiency as scouts, they were constantly kept at the front. [1] The 1st Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry was organized at Liberty, Burkeville and Monticello, Kentucky, October, 1861, and mustered in October 28, 1861. Veterans and recruits consolidated to a Battalion of 3 Companies and on duty at various points in Kentucky, operating against guerrillas and quieting country, until September, 1865. The regiment mustered out September 20, 1865. [2] (Source: Family Search ) The information below is from  Find A Grave: BIRTH Jan 1846 Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentuck...

Charles Edward Lawson (6.27.1939 - 5.4.2019)

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." Psalm 116:15 (KJV) In Loving Memory … Charles E. Lawson Charles Edward Lawson, 79, of Sedalia, passed away Saturday, May 4, 2019 at Fair View Nursing Home in Sedalia. He was born June 27, 1939 in Longwood, MO, a son of Ace Levi and Esther Ann (Stone) Lawson. Charles had served in the United States Army and was a member of LifePointe Church. He had worked many years as a road repairman for the City of Sedalia and at one time had worked as a Security Guard for Hayes Wheels now Maxion Wheels in Sedalia. Charles enjoyed playing the guitar and going hunting and fishing. Survivors include five children, Cindy Rugen (Hersel) of Syracuse, MO, Michael Lawson (Shirley) of Sedalia, MO, Russell Lawson, Sherry Hayes of Sedalia, MO, Chris Lawson (Jenny) of Kansas; many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild; two sisters, Viola Stetzenbach and Bertha Dixon both of Sedalia, MO. ...

Rebecca Lawson

Dear Family, Additional information regarding Rebecca , the wife of William Lawson (1733–1826)  has been posted at Find A Grave Memorial : BIRTH unknown Virginia, USA DEATH 16 Jan 1827 BURIAL Lawson Confederate Memorial Cemetery Snowflake, Scott County, Virginia, USA MEMORIAL ID 29149094 · View Source #1 you need to know about Rebecca if you think she was your ancestor: She was not named Rebecca Jane Banks and she did not marry William Lawson in Halifax County, Virginia in 1758. Jane Banks was a different woman married to a different William Lawson. #2 thing to know: Researchers of this Lawson ancestor had always assumed that Rebecca was the mother of William Lawson's children. As of January of 2016, a letter was located in a collection belonging to a Wood family researcher of the Virginia-Tennessee area and shared with myself and several others of this Lawson family. The letter was dated July 6, 1831 and written by Jeremiah Lawson of Brown County, Ohio to Travis ...

William Lawson: Finding Our True William

Dear Lawson Family, It appears there are some questions as to if the William "the rebel" Lawson is our ancestor or if perhaps another William from Scotland is the true patriarch of our family. I found this note at the William Lawson (1731 - 1826) Wiki Tree Page: William “Our Scottish Immigrant” Lawson Birth 26 Jun 1733 Montrose, Angus, Scotland Death 18 Apr 1826 Snowflake, Scott County, Virginia, USA Burial Lawson Confederate Memorial Cemetery Snowflake, Scott County, Virginia, USA Memorial ID 19302244 Please refer to www.lfhp.org for further information on William Lawson. Many people are still actively researching this ancestor and as of 2017 new data has been found. The LFHP website will be updating this information and sharing it with all on their mailing list. Correcting the information on the website is ongoing. Please understand there is no disrespect intended to any others who have devoted years of research to this ancestor. To those who paid ...

Marsha (Lawson) Somers (Late 1970's or Early 1980's)

This is a church directory photo of Marsha Lawson Somers taken in the late 1970's or early 1980's. This is a photo of my mother who went to be with the Lord on New Year's Eve, 1995. This time of the year is bitter sweet as we remember her fight with cancer and know it is good she has been with Lord Jesus these many years, but we still miss her.

'The Dialect of The Appalachian People'

The Monongahela National Forest; photo taken from slopes of Back Allegheny Mountain looking east   ( Valerius Tygart  - Appalachian Mountains /  Wikipedia ) As our patriarch William (the rebel) Lawson was originally from Scotland, banished to America and then eventually settled in Snowflake, Virginia, I thought this article on  The Dialect of The Appalachian People by Wylene P. Dial  posted at  West Virginia Archives and History would be appropriate to feature here.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The dialect spoken by Appalachian people has been given a variety of names, the majority of them somewhat less than complimentary. Educated people who look with disfavor on this particular form of speech are perfectly honest in their belief that something called The English Language, which they conceive of as a completed work - unchanging and fixed for all time - has been taken and, through ignorance, shamefully distorted by the mountain folk. The f...

Fond Memories and a Prayer...

Photo of my parents, Jess and Marsha (Lawson) Somers, with brothers Terry, Kenny and me (1958 ?). I don't remember ever seeing this family photo before, but after receiving it in the mail from my cousin yesterday, many fond memories have been going through my mind... I remember as a child thinking my father was the most handsome man in the world and my mother the kindest woman on earth. I also remember crawling over pillows my mother had placed around me (as a barricade?) to get to my brothers who were playing with toy army men. Sadly, they didn't appreciate my company as I remember knocking over their battle scene. :) I love my parents - mom went to be with the Lord in 1995 and Dad is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. A few months ago he told me I worried about him too much and that he has lived a good life. He then assured me he is in the Lord's care... I truly hope so. Thank You, dear Lord, for the family I was born into. Please watch over my brothers and...

Scotland's Forgotten History

As our family roots originate in Scotland, I think it might be helpful for us to learn more of its forgotten history. Here is a link to two brief videos that will eventually become a series of Scotland's Forgotten History. I hope you'll enjoy them and develop a love and connection to our Lawson heritage. It's one of bravery and heroism. We are connected by blood to a noble people. Scotland's Forgotten History Trailer from Scotland's Forgotten History on Vimeo . Link: https://vimeo.com/scotlandforgottenhistory/scotlandsforgottenhistory Our Need for Revival Today Our Need for Revival Today from Scotland's Forgotten History on Vimeo . Link: https://vimeo.com/230762121

Grandma Anna Stone Lawson with siblings and Father

Please click image for larger view. This picture was probably taken around 1910. I remember my Great Grandmother telling me she traveled in a covered wagon. This picture certainly looks as though it could've been taken from a scene in the "Little House on the Prairie" series!

Lawson Family Crest

MacLaren / Lawson Scottish Tartan

Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland . Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns. Tartan is often called plaid in North America, but in Scotland, a plaid is a tartan cloth slung over the shoulder as a kilt accessory, or a plain ordinary blanket such as one would have on a bed. Tartan is made with alternating bands of coloured (pre-dyed) threads woven as both warp and weft at right angles to each other. The weft is woven in a simple twill , two over—two under the warp, advancing one thread at each pass. This forms visible diagonal lines where different colours cross, which give the appearance of new colours blended from the original ones. The resulting blocks of colour repeat vertically and horizontally in a distinctive pattern of squares and lines known as a sett. (Wikipedia) ...

Mother and Father's Wedding Photo

Mother and Father (Jess Somers) on their Wedding Day (March 26, 1957) with my brothers Kenny and Terry Davidson

Anna Stone Lawson: 'A woman who fears the LORD is to be praised...'

(Estimated to be 29 years old) Anna Stone Lawson June 23, 1908 - Dec. 1998 The Woman Who Fears the Lord ( Proverbs 31: 30 - 31  ESV) 30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates. Today is Grandma Anna Lawson's Birthday!  She was born June 23, 1908 and went to be with the Lord, whom she served, in December of 1998. Anna Stone Lawson (approx. 6 mos. old) Scripture tells us that a woman who fears the LORD, will be praised by her descendants and today is a day for us to give the LORD our praise for the godly example Anna Stone Lawson displayed for us. Dear Father in Heaven,  We thank You for the Christian influence of our Grandmother Anna Lawson. She planted seeds of the Gospel of Jesus Christ deep within our souls as she read Bible stories and spoke of You to us while we sat on her lap and felt her lo...

William “the Rebel” Lawson and the Battle of Culloden

The Battle of Culloden (Wikipedia) Excerpt from Lawson, William - A Scottish Rebel by Bill Porter and posted online at Electric Scotland : William Lawson was born 26 June 1731 at Montrose, Scotland. He was the only son of a widow lady (1). No information is available on his father. Some believe his name was Robert and may have been killed during the Scottish uprising which culminated in the fatal route and dispersion of the followers of Prince Charles Edward Stuart, "the Pretender" to the throne of Great Britain at the Battle of Culloden on 16 April 1746.  At this battle the British army, under the command of the Duke of Cumberland, killed 1000 of the 5000 Scottish troops in less than an hour and pursued the fleeing rebels, persecuting and prosecuting them and members of their families (2). William Lawson was one of many young Scotsmen arrested and placed in prisons in northern England.  Confined at Chester and Carlisle, the Scottish rebels became a threat to...

Great, Great Grandparents: John and Margaret Simmons

John McNeal Simmons (1861 to 1951)  and Margaret Matilda Handlin Simmons (1867-1947).

Bertha Ann Simmons Stone Lawson

Parents: John McNeal Simmons (1861 to 1951) and Margaret Matilda Handlin (1867-1947) Bertha Ann Simmons Stone 3/27/1884 to May 1972  William Edward Stone 9/29/1867 to 1951  Their children: 1. Harvey DOB 3/29/1903  2. Charles Jerry (8/17/1904 to October 1979)  3. Ethel Matilda Hannah (9/28/1906 to June 1974)  4. Ester Anna Lawson ( June 23, 1908 - Dec. 1998)   5. Charles Henry (2/3/1910 to 12/1982)  6. Rueben Carl "Doc" DOB 6/16/1913  7. Leonard Edward. DOB 6/7/1915  8. John Thomas DOB 8/26/1917  9. Jenny Catherine Hensgen DOB 6/3/1919  10. Mary Elizabeth Pannell Renno (7/26/1921 - 9/14/2005)  11. Margaret Ardelia Gardner (2/15/1923 - 8/17/2013)  12. (With 2nd husband William Lawson) Rosa Elizabeth Simmons Shirley DOB 3/27/1927 William Lawson, Sam Simmons and Bertha Stone Lawson *Information compiled by Diane Renno Jarvis and Angela Somers Wittman. Photo provided by Bertha...