My Tree

Deeply Rooted

Lawton, Frank E.

Source 228 – Memorial Card – Frank Lawton

by

Title: Memorial Card for Frank E. Lawton
Date: died 04 May 1984, Prescott, AZ; b. 18 May 1905, Paw Paw, MI
Locality: Prescott, Arizona
Curator: Christine Fisher
Detail: 

In Loving Memory of Frank E. Lawton
Born: May 18, 1905, Paw Paw, Michigan
Died: May 4, 1984, Prescott, Arizona
Memorial Services: 2:00 pm Tuesday, May 8, 1984, First Southern Baptist Church, Mayer, Arizona
Officiating: Rev. Richard McEver
Casket Bearers: James Perry, John Barrow, Paul Toelken, William Stewart, Phillip Stewart, Patrick Barrow
Concluding Services: Mayer Cemetery, Mayer, Arizona

Source 003 – Personal Letter Regarding Branch/Lawton Genealogy by Dorothy Lawton

by

Author: Dorothy Lawton
Title: Letter to Helen J. (Thomas) Hoorn regarding Branch/Lawton Genealogy
Date: 09 June 1982
Curator: Christine Fisher
Note: Sent from Mayer, AZ, to Grand Rapids, MI

09 June 1982
Grand Rapids, MI

Dear Helen:
This is the darnedest letter. First I’m not seeing so good. Second its a darnedest mix up trying to write about the family. and then I’m such a poor writer. But Frank says if you really study the papers in the last box, you’ll probably be able to figure it out for yourself. And then you can write and ask anything you don’t understand. So here goes:

Valeria L Nelson’s sister Helen E. Nelson – who married Elam Branch, Frank’s grandfather. There was three children: EE Branch (Uncle Elam), Jesse Branch (died in early life, was married and had two children. He died up in the thumb area of typhoid pneumonia and we lost track of his children. And Amanda Branch – Frank’s mother. After Elam died Helen E Branch later married Lyman Cooper (your [Helen’s] grandfather). But Helen was both yours and Franks grandmother.

After Helen and Lyman Cooper were married they had one daughter, Iva May Cooper – your mother.

Valeria L Nelson, sister of Helen E Nelson maried Elam Branch. They had 3 children: EE Branch, Jesse Branch, and Amanda Branch. After Elam Branch died Helen E Branch later maried Lyman Cooper. Had one dawter: Iva May Cooper. You asked if Aunt Valeria had been maried. She maried William Nelson. I do not know if he was a cousin or not. Grandmother Branch-Cooper buried in Hillside Cemetery, Lawrence, MI

Helen Branch-Cooper, Valeria Nelson, and Frank H Lawton and Amanda B. Lawton are all buried on the same large lot. If you were to go to the Lawrence Cemetery and look up the large lot and maybe look up the manager and he’ll tell you about who buried there.

Does Martin belong to the Mason’s? You remember Uncle Elam was a 32 (?) mason and we have a couple of rituals
My goodness I was going to copy this out a little better, but didn’t get it done.

My sister Vera and her husband (Clark William Hill) are having their 50th anniversary at their sons in Owosso next month. Hope you have a nice time sorting this out.
Love,
Lawtons (Frank and Dorothy), Mayer AZ

Source 086 – Personal Letter by Dorothy Lawton

by

Author: Dorothy Lawton of Mayer, AZ
Title: Letter to Helen Hoorn
Date: 6 May 1982
Curator: Christine Fisher
Note: this letter was included in the box of ancestor photo albums

Dear Folks: Sorry I haven’t written sooner, but seems that time gets away. I’m going to start answering some of your questions right off. Great Aunt Valeria was a sister to your grandmother Cooper. As for the pictures, the small album has most of the pictures named.

About the Indians. Aunt Valeria wrote about them in of all places the cookbook which we are sending to you. We’re getting to the age that we’d better get things done. However, we’re both quite well. We both have to be very careful of our eats. We have birthdays this month. Frank’s 77, my 76. But we’re hoping for many more. Frank is having a terrible time boxing your albums. Couldn’t get the right boxes so far he hasn’t said any bad words. I have a church cook book that I should send to Dorothy. It’s from people all about the territory. That is if she still is working out of Boyne City. I’m wondering if they still have the ferry across the lake to Irontan or if its been bridged. We still have some very good friends around the territory. Frank has your package about ready, so will close for now. Why don’t you come out this way sometime. But we do have hot weather so because of Mr. it should be early spring or late fall. We do have hot weather (110) but we have refrigeration both in house and car. Love, Dot.

Source 082 – Personal Letter by Helen J. Hoorn

by

Author: Helen J. (Thomas) Hoorn
Title: Letter to Frank and Dorothy [Lawton]
Date: 15 May 1959
Curator: Christine Fisher
Note:

May 15, 1959
Dear Frank & Dorothy
Finally, I’m getting around to send these pictures. Such a busy time. I find you are busier when they start to grow up than when they are little. There is always one going some where.
Janice will graduate June 11. She has had a wonderful senior year. She is very popular so that means she goes to everything. She went to two proms. We have some nice slides of her so when you come to Grand Rapids we will show them to you.
I would love to talk my husband into coming out to see you but he isn’t a traveler. Maybe some day. He has a slide camera and loves to take pictures.
Jim graduates from 8th grade. He will soon be bigger than his Dad. Right now he has a broken finger from playing baseball.
How is work out there? It seems to be booming here right now. Mart, of course, always works. He is going to take some extra time off this summer for a rest. He has his sixth house almost done. Write
Love, Helen

Source 008 – Personal Letter by Amanda Lawton

by

Author: Amanda B. (Branch) Lawton of Lawrence, MI
Title: Letter to “Sister” [Iva M. Cooper of Beulah, MI]
Date: 28 October 1906
Curator: Christine Fisher
Note: care of CH Craine [husband of Junia E. Cooper, Iva’s half-sister through father]

Dear Sister [Iva]
I direct to you because mother said to and it has been so long since I got her letter that she may be back in Paw Paw by this time. I am sorry I could not answer sooner but I was out of envelopes, stamps, and money at the time so was obliged to wait till I could stock up again.

I saw Welsh the day I got the letter. I thought I explained things so it was all understood that I couldn’t meet anything more until Carl pays me. I hoped he would pay me this month but I have to wait until Nov. And my creditors have to wait along with me and the int. is steadily growing but I can’t help myself.

But this is enough along this line. I hope Junia is much better by this time. It seemed so hard that she must loose her first little girl and probably all the one she will ever have. Mrs. Barnes was buried the 7th of this month. Her foot was amputated a few days before she died hoping to save her but it was too late. The last time the Dr tried to dress her leg I was told that the flesh sloughed off to the bone from where the sore was on her leg to her toes. The dear little woman has been such a sufferer for so many years. Death must have been a sweet release to her, though it must be very lonely for Mr Barnes, but he probably will not have long to endure it. Last night we were told of Aida Barnes Fuller’s death. I haven’t heard any particulars yet. I think Junia went to school to her. I suppose you had a snow storm up there the same time we had ours. Apples were frozen solid on the trees and grapes on the vines burst – the string beans were many of them spared. Apples that were on the ground were not hurt. We hadn’t had frost enough to color the leaves yet and they just crisped and fell green. We have had the most peculiar looking landscape this fall that I ever saw having entirely missed the gorgeous red and yellow colouring of the leaves that we usually have in Oct.

It was so cold and stormy that the baby [Frank Jr] and I didn’t go to church today but Jesse went with Silvia. And the baby is taking a nice long nap so I am having quite a peaceable time writing. But it is time to start dinner now and I must write to Aunt Valeria [Nelson]. I had a letter from her dated the 5th and as I haven’t written to her since the baby was born I think it is about time I wrote. We are well so far and hope you are the same. But good by with love and best wishes to mother if she is still there and also to yourself and Junia and good luck to Charlie.
I remain as ever your loving sister,
Amanda B. Lawton [Iva’s half-sister through mother]
Lawrence, MI