LAWSON, Mary

The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona Monday, May 3, 2010 Mary Lawson, 93, born Oct. 17, 1916, in Pageland, S.C., passed away May 2, 2010, in Prescott, Ariz. Services will be 4 p.m. Friday, May 7, 2010, at the United Methodist Church, 505 W. Gurley St., Prescott. Hampton Funeral Home was entrusted with the arrangements. ~~~~~~~~~~ The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona Wednesday, May 5, 2010 Mary R. Lawson, 93, longtime Prescott resident and educator, passed from this earth Sunday, May 2, 2010, to join John, her love and husband of 50 years. She passed peacefully and with the whispered words of love and respect of her four sons in her heart. She was born Oct. 17, 1916, in Pageland, S.C., to Con and Ruby Robinson. Family, faith in God, and friends were Mary's greatest joys, and the source of her considerable personal strength. She raised four sons and held her family together during difficult times, and loved and cared for her husband John during years of illness and death in 1996. After the tragic sudden death of her daughter-in-law Wendy, wife of oldest son John Jr., she left home at the age of 81 to spend several months helping her four grandsons deal with the death of their mother. She never failed to help any family members during difficult economic or emotional times. She was a great example of strength in tough times, and will be fondly remembered that way by all her surviving family and friends. Born Mary Dayle Robinson, she grew up in Pageland, S.C., with four sisters and one brother. She attended Pageland High School, and earned, during the very tough times of the 1930s Great Depression, a college degree in education from Winthrop College. She went on to become a respected teacher at several grade levels for more than 40 years, her last 20 years in Prescott before retiring in 1981. She met her future husband, John Lawson, in 1939, going to a football game in Cheraw, S.C., for their first date. They communicated through many letters during his service in the U.S. Army, including his years overseas during World War II. She kept all the letters all her life. They were married Feb. 9, 1946, in Pageland, S.C. From 1946 to 1957, four boys came into their lives. Mary was a working mother during all these years. Illness caused the family to make a sudden and difficult move west to Arizona in 1961, where they remained the rest of their lives. She taught first grade for 20 years in the Prescott Unified School District, mostly at Miller Valley Elementary. Mary joined the Prescott United Methodist Church, and was a regularly-attending member for more than 45 years. She loved being a member of the church, and many of her friendships began in church groups. She changed her role to grandma as children of her sons came into the world, and took on that role with an intensity that amazed her family. She doted on her grandchildren, and loved their visits to her home on Park Avenue. She had the joy of recently seeing the first of the next generation, great-grandchild Ellie. Her main purpose changed with the illness of her husband, and she became a dedicated caretaker of John during his illnesses, staying by his side in his final days and holding his hand as he passed away. Her dedication to family and strength of commitment will be remembered, and she will be missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her. She was preceded in death by her parents, Con and Ruby Robinson; brother A.C.; and daughter-in-law Wendy. Survivors include sons and their spouses John, Robert, Thomas (Jana) and Mike (Trish); sisters Ruth, Dot, Faye and Janice; 12 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. A service for Mary will be at 4 p.m. Friday, May 7, 2010, at the Prescott United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to Prescott United Methodist Church, or to Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA Box 1424 Williamsville, NY 14231). Hampton Funeral Home was entrusted with the arrangements. Information provided by survivors.