Our Lawson Family Heritage

Queen Victoria Lawson Pettis is the younger sister of my grandfather, Ace Levi Lawson. I remember my mother always speaking most lovingly of her "Aunt Vic" and "Uncle Jess" Pettis. Much gratitude to Find A Grave  and Diana for making this information available: Birth: 1897 Death: 1968 Family links:  Parents: Joseph Reece Lawson (1856 - 1909) Margrette Elizabeth Combs Lawson (1866 - 1929) Spouse: Jess Samuel Pettis (1891 - 1984) Children: Artie N Pettis Blakely (1913 - 1996) * Jessie Mae Pettis Savage (1915 - 2011) * Margaret E. Pettis Derkum (1918 - 2008) * Eddie S Pettis (1920 - 1999) * Mildred Louise Pettis Hargrave (1923 - 2008) * Phillip Wayne Pettis (1925 - 2000) * Elizabeth N. Pettis North (1930 - 2009) * Georgia E Pettis McLaughlin (1932 - 1992) * Donald L Pettis (1935 - 2002) * Geneva Ellen Pettis Dunn (1940 - 2007) * Siblings: Rose Ann Lawson Curry (1883 - 1949) ** Mary Alice Lawson Thurman (1888 - 1934) * Wi...

My Grandparents Ace and Anna Lawson with children  (left to right) Charles, Ethel, Martha (my mother) and Russell. 

Peony (Wikipedia) As a child I would often sit in Grandma and Grandpa Lawson's front yard during the day with them and they would tell me stories. Many of the stories have faded from memory, but sitting near Grandpa's much loved and cared for peonies and roses has not. I can still feel the warm sun and remember the fragrance of the roses in bloom. Rose (Wikipedia) One afternoon when I was in my early teens, Grandma and I were alone in the yard, sitting near the pink roses. She must have been feeling nostalgic that day and I remember her telling me that young women were like the rose. They began as the bud and as they grew they bloomed in their youth and were beautiful, but eventually the flower fades - just as a woman's outer beauty will eventually fade as she grows older. I remember being very surprised at Grandma's analogy - she had always been Grandma to me (she was approximately 50 years old when I was born and probably was in her early 60's at this ...

Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord : we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord . (Psalm 118:26, KJV) How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! (Isaiah 52:7 KJV) Anna Lawson (Ester Anna Stone) is my maternal grandmother. My earliest memory is of her telling me about the Lord Jesus and teaching me to pray. I can truly say that it was Grandma who first told me about Jesus Christ and who gave me my first Bible. Grandmother married Grandpa (Ace Levi Lawson) when she was approximately 21 years old. My mother, Martha, was their first child. They then had 11 more children (Russell, Ethel, Charles, Viola, Mary, Bertha, and James) with four babies dying in infancy (Ace Lester, William Joseph, Samuel David and George Thomas). May the good Lord bless her memory. Amen. Grandma and me (1958)

My mother and her younger sister Ethel Geraldine 

By John Angell James (1785 - 1859) 1. The enjoyments and occupations of heaven are uniformly represented as social: but where is the charm of society without mutual knowledge? 2. Heaven is uniformly represented as perfecting all our faculties; is it then probable that it will diminish memory, one of the most important of them? And if memory be still retained in full vigor, and it be perpetually employed, as it inevitably must be, on the past scenes of our earthly existence, is it likely that the friends and companions of that existence, inhabiting then the same celestial world with us, will be unknown to us? 3. The chief grace that will be increased in the regions of the blest, next to love to God, will be love to our companions in glory. But will not one of the most pure, elevated, and delightful exercises of this holy passion be wanting, if we are ignorant of our glorified relatives? 4. In the general judgment, which is appointed to vindicate the ways of God to man, it is...

Ace Levi Lawson (2.24.1894 - 9.15.1972) Grandfather's Grave Site As a child I remember seeing Grandfather's WWI military paper hanging in a frame in Grandmother's front room (parlor) and being amazed that he fought in a World War. As time permits, I hope to find more on his service record and will share it here. Grandfather truly was the glue that held his family together and he was much loved and respected by all his children and grandchildren. He was 14 years older than Grandmother when they married, and died 26 years before her.  I remember how devastated my grandmother, mother, aunts and uncles were at his death. I had not seen my grandmother cry until his death. There's no doubt in my mind that she truly loved him and he loved her. My memory of him is still clear as he was a man of great discernment regarding human nature and he would spend hours sitting in the front yard of his home telling us children stories. I have wonderful memories of baking him ...

Lawson Family Heritage Program Below is an excerpt from the Lawson Family Heritage Program website's front page (an excellent resource!): Welcome!   We are the descendants of William Lawson of Montrose, Scotland.  "Lawson" is one of the Septs of the Clan MacLaren.   "Septs were families that a clan could regard as loyal, either families related to the clan by blood, or families that obtained protection from the clan.  In the times of the Scottish Clans the spelling of the name and the inclusion or exclusion of the Mac or Mc was the preference of the individual. Sometimes a serious family dispute would lead to an individual changing the spelling to show this, or a change might be made to show allegiance to another branch of the clan, or to avoid a persecution. This created the blood related septs." Motto: Creag an Tuirc - (The Boar's Rock) It is possible that there are two quite separate origins of this name, one arising in Perths...

Pinterest.com I do not know which sibling of my mother had their DNA analyzed, but one of the most exciting discoveries I've made is this DNA chart which has our family tree: Pedigree Chart Kit Number 105786 GGG Grandfather - William LAWSON b. 26 Jul 1731, Montrose, Scotland d. 18 Apr 1826, Snowflake, Scott County, Virginia & GGG Grandmother - Rebecca TRAVIS? b. 1735, North Carolina d. 16 Jan 1827, Snowflake, Scott County, Virginia | GG Grandfather - Travis LAWSON | b. abt 1766, North Carolina | d. aft 1850, Kentucky | & GG Grandmother - Martha 'Maisie' SIMPKINS | b. ca 1767, New York, New York | d. aft 1850, Kentucky | m. 4 Jan 1788, Montgomery County, Virginia | | G Grandfather - Henry LAWSON | | b. ca 1810, Montgomery County, Virginia | | d. aft 1860 | | & G Grandmother - Nancy ALEXANDER | | b. ca 1828, Kentucky | | d. aft 1860, Cass County,...

View of Montrose, Scotland by Alan Morrison (Wikipedia) When I first began researching our branch of the Lawson family, I came across the story of "William the Rebel" Lawson and discovered that we are his descendants. One of the stories I want to share is written by Bill Porter and posted online at Electric Scotland : Battle of Culloden - Wikipedia Lawson, William - A Scottish Rebel 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 pursue...

By Angela Wittman In Honor of my Lord and Savior who chose to save my mother and me from a wretched life of sin and misery. Mom and me. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. - 2 Cor. 5:17 After much prayer and reflection, if there is any message or legacy mom would want to leave her loved ones, it is that she became a sold-out believer of Jesus Christ before her death. I watched her make a complete transformation and while mom wasn’t perfect, she truly became a new creation in Christ. Her message for her family and loved ones would be for you to repent of your sins and follow Christ. ... Mom’s in Heaven and while I still miss her, I look forward to serving our King together for all eternity. Do you have this blessed assurance? -  Angela Wittman Revelation 22 King James Version (KJV)   And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne...

Marsha Lillian (Lawson) Somers A woman of fierce family loyalty. Date of Birth: March 26, 1929 Father: Ace Levi Lawson (Feb. 1894 - Sept. 1972) Mother: Ester Anna Stone (Jan. 1908 - Dec. 1998) Marriage to Jesse C. Somers: March 26, 1957 Mother went to be with the Lord on New Year's Eve, (December 31, 1995) after a brief battle (approximately 6 months) with cancer. She was buried at Millers Chapel in Pettis County, Missouri, on January 5, 1996 during a soft snowfall which was mother's favorite seasonal event. (I can remember being ill in bed as a young child and mother taking a laundry basket outside to catch some snowflakes to bring into me; we both loved the soft snow so much.) Mom's Baby Picture Mother and me June 1958 Mom and Dad 1975 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again...

By Angela Wittman My mother, Marsha Somers, in the mid 1970's I've been thinking about the values I was taught as a child and the example my mother set before me who passed away from an aggressive form of cancer 21 years ago. I think the lessons she tried to impart were based upon her Christian upbringing, and while she had strayed from the church, she didn't stray too far from Christian morals.  If there is any wisdom mom would want to impart to her granddaughters, great-granddaughters and nieces, it would be to seek the Lord first in your life and then pattern your life after women in the Bible and other authentic Christian women found throughout history. So, while mom wasn't perfect, (she had a famous Scottish temper), she did find peace, love and forgiveness at the cross of Christ before her death. I still marvel at the change that came over her as her heart softened and her mind was renewed with the Word of God. I also remember how accepting she wa...