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Raymond Willard Lawson

Birth	:	17 Nov 1924 Sand Creek Township, Union County, Iowa, USA
Death	:	24 Jan 2012 Brush, Morgan County, Colorado, USA
Burial	:	Benkelman Cemetery, Benkelman, Dundy County, USA
Coordinate	:	40.0699997, -101.5318985
Inscription	:	PARENTS of DANA RAE.
Description	:	On Tuesday January 24, 2012 Raymond Willard Lawson, age 87, went to be with his Lord and Savior after a long struggle with pneumonia and other health issues. Raymond was born on November 17, 1924 in Union County, Iowa, to Willard Loice Lawson and Clara (Priest) Lawson. The second of five children, Raymond and his family moved from Iowa to Kansas when he was 5, traveling in a Model-A Touring car. He grew up in the farm country of Kansas and Nebraska. As a teenager, he helped his parents farm. He graduated from the West White Eagle country... Read More	On Tuesday January 24, 2012 Raymond Willard Lawson, age 87, went to be with his Lord and Savior after a long struggle with pneumonia and other health issues. Raymond was born on November 17, 1924 in Union County, Iowa, to Willard Loice Lawson and Clara (Priest) Lawson. The second of five children, Raymond and his family moved from Iowa to Kansas when he was 5, traveling in a Model-A Touring car. He grew up in the farm country of Kansas and Nebraska. As a teenager, he helped his parents farm. He graduated from the West White Eagle country school on May 25, 1940. At the age of 15, Raymond began earning a man's wage, by working as a farm laborer and feeding cattle for Loren Weeks one winter. At 18, he started working for Cliff and Laura Ham on their ranch. For 3 years, he received $5 a day, and board. During October through December, he picked corn for 15 cents a bushel. That was good money back then. He picked about 90-98 bushels a day, depending on how good the crop was. He and his brother took on other harvesting jobs, too. In 1942, Marvin went to serve in the Army during World War II. Raymond wanted to enlist, but was unable to serve due to an eye injury. After the War, they worked together for a few years in Colorado, doing construction and distribution work, and hauled lumber into the mountains. Raymond accepted Christ and became a member of the First Baptist Church of Loveland, CO. on Nov 30, 1947. He continued to live in Loveland and drove a truck for Loveland Denver Transportation. In March 1949, he learned of an opening at Rock Creek Fish Hatchery, and began working at 75 cents and hour. He became a permanent employee of the Nebraska State Game and Parks Commission on April 1, 1949. He joined the Benkelman Baptist Church where Pastor Earl Conley gave him a gentle shove in the direction of Dorothy May Erdmann. Their first date was to take Dorothy to the senior class play in which she had a role. They were married in the church on December 27, 1953, and lived in a small house in Benkelman. On Sept 6, 1956, they moved to the Fish Hatchery at Valentine, Nebraska, where Raymond did a lot of the distribution work, hauling fish to lakes and streams throughout Nebraska. In referring to his travels from one end of the state to the other, Raymond has said, "You don't have to leave Nebraska to see a lot of beautiful scenery, because it's there if you know where to look." Raymond and Dorothy helped to start a Southern Baptist Mission which later became the First Baptist Church of Valentine, and were active in all areas of church work. On Sept 21, 1960, they became parents of a baby girl they named Diana Rae—a little gift from God that brought a lot of joy and happiness into their lives. In 1969, Raymond was transferred to the Grove Lake Rearing Station in Royal, Nebraska. The high humidity affected Raymond's health so the family returned to Rock Creek on Oct. 28, 1970. They joined the Trinity Baptist Church in Benkelman and worked in the church until they transferred their membership to the First Baptist Church in St. Francis, Kansas in 1974. Raymond was ordained a deacon of the Church on his birthday, Nov. 17, 1985. Raymond worked hard, made many friends and earned the respect of co-workers with his gentle personality. He was always conscientious about the well-being of others. Once, he noticed that the bosses' daughter, Jill, a summer worker, had not come back from painting at the upper end of the hatchery. He went to check on her and found her overcome by fumes. He carried her out of the building into open air, called for help and sat with her until the ambulance came. If he hadn't gone to check, Jill would have died. After this incident, her father, Dudley Blank, and Raymond worked to get the Commission to require mandatory CPR and First Aid training for state employees, as well as keeping oxygen on hand at each site. He also convinced Benkelman High School to require all senior students to go through a Defensive Driving course. After a career of service of 40 years and 9 months, Raymond retired from the Game Commission on Jan. 2, 1990. He and Dorothy moved to St. Francis, Kansas, where their church was, and there lived on a farm for 8 months. On Sept. 8, of that year, they decided to move to Brush, Colorado, where Dorothy's sister, Iona, and her family lived. For a time, Raymond worked at Brush Market, sacking groceries, stocking shelves and fixing veggie trays. He was popular with the ladies in the "over-50" crowd, with his engaging smile and courteous ways. Some even asked that he sack their groceries. Raymond and Dorothy have been faithful to the Lord for their entire married lives, always seeking a church family wherever they lived. He has been a shining example of what living a Christian life really means: soft-spoken, gentle, kind, slow to anger. He was never afraid to stand up for what was right or to defend his family. Raymond was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Marvin, a grandson, Raymond Joe Smith, brothers-in-law Harold Stroup and Don Golding, and sister-in-law Ruby Lawson. Survivors include his wife of more than 58 years, Dorothy May Lawson of Brush, Colorado, daughter Diana Rae and husband Tim Smith of Laramie, WY, sisters Bertie Stroup of Benkelman, NE, and June Golding of Grand Island, NE., Brother Charlie and wife Diane of San Diego, CA, three grandchildren, Alicia Picard, Michael and Jonathan Palmer, one great-grandson, Mason Allen Picard, and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. Interment to follow in the Benkelman Cemetery, Benkelman, NE.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Raymond Willard Lawson's memorial?
Raymond Willard Lawson's memorial is located at: Benkelman Cemetery, Benkelman, Dundy County, USA.
When did Raymond Willard Lawson death?
Raymond Willard Lawson death on 24 Jan 2012 in Brush, Morgan County, Colorado, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Raymond Willard Lawson's memorial?
Latitude: 40.0699997
Longitude: -101.5318985

Family Members:

Parent

Willard Loice Lawson

(1898 - 1971)

Clara Priest Lawson

(1896 - 1984)

Spouse

Dorothy Mae Erdmann Lawson

(1933 - unknow)

Siblings

Marvin Filbert Lawson

(1923 - 1986)

Bertie F Lawson Stroup

(1925 - 2021)

June Marie Lawson golding

(1927 - 2017)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Benkelman Cemetery
Benkelman, Dundy County, USA
Coordinate: 40.0699997, -101.5318985

2. Max Cemetery
Max, Dundy County, USA
Coordinate: 40.0966500, -101.4184300

3. Pleasant Valley Cemetery
Benkelman, Dundy County, USA
Coordinate: 40.1483600, -101.6295700

4. Boston Cemetery
Dundy County, USA
Coordinate: 40.0886600, -101.3512900

5. Highland Cemetery
Dundy County, USA
Coordinate: 40.2056007, -101.4357986

6. Parks Cemetery
Dundy County, USA
Coordinate: 40.0978012, -101.7397003

7. West Union Cemetery
Hitchcock County, USA
Coordinate: 40.0600014, -101.2830963

8. Ash Grove Cemetery
Dundy County, USA
Coordinate: 40.2421989, -101.3617020

9. Barley Cemetery
Wheeler, Cheyenne County, USA
Coordinate: 39.8655000, -101.6541300

10. Evergreen Cemetery
Bird City, Cheyenne County, USA
Coordinate: 39.8400002, -101.4856033

11. Mayflower Cemetery
Rawlins County, USA
Coordinate: 39.9006004, -101.3067017

12. Rose Hill Cemetery
Stratton, Hitchcock County, USA
Coordinate: 40.1623000, -101.2393000

13. Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Dundy County, USA
Coordinate: 40.3149986, -101.5678024

14. Ough Cemetery
Ough, Dundy County, USA
Coordinate: 40.3213997, -101.5214005

15. Mount Zion Cemetery
Benkelman, Dundy County, USA
Coordinate: 40.3143997, -101.4366989

16. Hackberry Cemetery
Saint Francis, Cheyenne County, USA
Coordinate: 39.9180000, -101.8238100

17. Hiawatha Cemetery
Dundy County, USA
Coordinate: 40.3293991, -101.6532974

18. McCabe Cemetery
Stratton, Hitchcock County, USA
Coordinate: 40.0243000, -101.1735000

19. Saint Pauls Lutheran Cemetery
Dundy County, USA
Coordinate: 40.3490300, -101.5222500

20. Saint Johns Cemetery
Atwood, Rawlins County, USA
Coordinate: 39.9199982, -101.2052994

21. Bird City Cemetery
Bird City, Cheyenne County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7705994, -101.5175018

22. Immaculate Conception Cemetery
Rawlins County, USA
Coordinate: 39.8856010, -101.2217026

23. Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery
Saint Francis, Cheyenne County, USA
Coordinate: 39.9439340, -101.8893690

24. Eden Cemetery
Hitchcock County, USA
Coordinate: 40.3222237, -101.3147202