Individual Details
Melvin Gray Lawrence
(JANUARY 24, 1908 - MAY 1, 1999)
Events
| Birth | JANUARY 24, 1908 | Turnersville, Coryell County, Texas |  |  | |
| Census | 1910 | 1910 U.S. Federal Census, Coryell County, Texas | | | |
| Census | 1920 | 1920 U.S. Federal Census, Coryell County, Texas | | | |
| Census | 1930 | 1930 U.S. Federal Census, San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas | | | |
| Miscellaneous | From 1934 to 1984 | Pharmacist | | | |
| Marriage | SEPTEMBER 22, 1935 | Leona Schill | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 1936 | Lawrence Drug Store, San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas | | | |
| Miscellaneous | 1984 | Texas Board of Pharmacy Citation | | | |
| Death | MAY 1, 1999 | San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas | | | |
| Miscellaneous | Aft MAY 1, 1999 | Find A Grave Memorial | | | |
| Miscellaneous | Aft MAY 1, 1999 | Obituary | | | |
| Burial | MAY 4, 1999 | Lawnhaven Memorial Gardens, San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas | | |
Families
| Spouse | Leona Schill (1910 - 2005) |
| Child | Deta Karen Lawrence ( - ) |
| Child | Kathie Helen Lawrence ( - ) |
| Father | Ernest LaSidney Lawrence (1880 - 1965) |
| Mother | Anna Duncan (1886 - 1983) |
| Sibling | Bonnie Virginia Lawrence (1903 - 1993) |
| Sibling | Raymond Deward Lawrence (1905 - 1996) |
| Sibling | Winnifred Rhea Lawrence (1906 - 1991) |
| Sibling | Desmond Duncan Lawrence (1915 - 2000) |
| Sibling | Eloise Loraine Lawrence (1922 - ) |
Notes
Birth
First child born on family farm on Coryell Creek between Gatesville and Turnersville, TX.Census
The 1910 Coryell County Census, Precinct 8 shows Melvin, age 2, son, in the Ernest and Annie Lawrence household.Census
The 1920 Coryell County Census shows Melvin G., age 11 years and 11 months, son, in the Ernest L. and Anna Lawrence household.Census
The 1930 Tom Green County Census shows Melvin Lawrence, 22, single, drug store salesman, roomer in the home of James and Minnie Barrett. Mr. Barrett is a barbershop owner.Miscellaneous
Melvin G. Lawrence became a certified Texas pharmacist in March of 1934 after completing a correspondence course.He began his career as a soda jerk first in Gatesville, Texas, and then he joined his friend Holland Graham in San Angelo, Texas, to work in A.P. Holman's Concho Drug Store (Perkins, Westerman's.) W.C. Perkins loaned him $35 for his first pharmacy course.
Marriage
Marriage date is mentioned in a Golden Wedding notice.Miscellaneous
Melvin G. Lawrence opened his drug store at 1320 W. Beauregard in 1936.His wife Leona used her last cash to pay the store's $80 first invoice.
The building was rented from R.C. Linthicum and it had to be cleaned of several years accumulation of cobwebs before opening.
At one time the store employed 14 people including Melvin's brother Raymond, who was also a pharmacist.
The store provided curb service in the early days. A customer could toot his car horn and have a soda fountain order delivered to the car.
Miscellaneous
Melvin G. Lawrence was awarded a citation of achievement from the Texas Board of Pharmacy for 50 years of service in the profession of pharmacy in 1984.Death
Had a long illness after a stroke which left him partially paralyzed.Miscellaneous
His Find A Grave Memorial is #55713818.Miscellaneous
His obituary from the "San Angelo Standard" is posted on his Find A Grave Memorial and it mentions:Retired as owner of Lawrence Drug in 1964 due to a massive stroke which left him partially paralyzed;
Member of Trinity Lutheran Church;
Preceded in death by his parents Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Lawrence; sisters Rhea Engert and Bonnie Ahlgren;
and brother Raymond Lawrence;
Survived by his wife; daugters Kathie Johnson and husband Paul of San Angelo and Deta Hampsch of Phoenix; sister Eloise Classing (Klasing) of Waco; brother Desmond Lawrence and wife Evelyn of Gatesville; and
grandchildren: Cindy Chandler and husband Tom of Boise, Idaho; Mark Hampsch of Boise, Idaho; Kristie Mason and husband Jay of Herndon, VA; Anthiny Johnson and wife Patricia of Darmstadt, Germany; Shannen Schuler and husband Jim of San Antonio; Michelle Morris and husband Gene of San Angelo.
Pall bearers included Gene Morris, Gene Morris, Jr., and James Schuler.
Burial
His obituary posted on Find A Grave Memorial gives the burial date of 5-4-1999.Endnotes
1. Evelyn Johnson Lawrence, Family History, Recipient: Sherry Lawrence, Author Address: Gatesville, TX, Recipient Address: Gatesville, TX (2002), Family History Compiled by Evelyn Lawrence from personal communications, family bibles,etc..
2. U.S. Social Security, Compiler: U.S. Social Security Death Index, U. S. Social Security Death Index, Location: FamilySearch Website, Url: www.familysearch.org.
3. 1910 U.S. Federal Census, Record Type: microfilm image, Ancestry.com Website, www.ancestry.com..
4. 1920 U.S. Federal Census, Record Type: microfilm image, Ancestry.com Website, www.ancestry.com..
5. 1930 U.S. Federal Census, Record Type: microfilm image, Ancestry.com Website, www.ancestry.com..
6. "A bit of history alive and well".
7. Obituary.
8. Evelyn Johnson Lawrence, Family History, Recipient: Sherry Lawrence, Author Address: Gatesville, TX, Recipient Address: Gatesville, TX (2002).
9. "A bit of history alive and well".
10. "A bit of history alive and well".
11. Evelyn Johnson Lawrence, Family History, Recipient: Sherry Lawrence, Author Address: Gatesville, TX, Recipient Address: Gatesville, TX (2002), Family History Compiled by Evelyn Lawrence from personal communications, family bibles,etc..
12. U.S. Social Security, Compiler: U.S. Social Security Death Index, U. S. Social Security Death Index, Location: FamilySearch Website, Url: www.familysearch.org.
13. Texas Death Index, 1964-1998, Record Type: electronic file, Subject: Texas Deaths, 1964-1998, Photographer: FamilySearch, Url: www.familysearch.org, File Name: Texas Death Index, 1964-1998.
14. Find A Grave Web Site, Url: www.findagrave.com.
15. Obituary.
16. Obituary.
17. Find A Grave Web Site, Url: www.findagrave.com.