Individual Details

Evelyn Estelle Johnson

(DECEMBER 31, 1920 - APRIL 21, 2009)

Events

BirthDECEMBER 31, 1920Gatesville, Coryell County, Texas
MiscellaneousCA, 1929Family Story -Storm - John Ealy and Mary Frances Coleman Johnson's Home, Oglesby, Coryell County, Texas
MiscellaneousCA, 1930Family Story -Doll Clothes - McGregor, McLennan County, Texas
MiscellaneousCA, 1930Family Story -Kittens - McGregor, McLennan County, Texas
MiscellaneousCA, 1930Family Story -Wild Chickens - John Ealy and Mary Frances Coleman Johnson's Home, Oglesby, Coryell County, Texas
MiscellaneousCA, 1930Cattle Drives - Walnut Springs, Bosque County, Texas
MiscellaneousCA, 1930Christmas Decorations - McGregor, McLennan County, Texas
MarriageAUGUST 14, 1938Gatesville, Coryell County, Texas - Desmond Duncan Lawrence
DeathAPRIL 21, 2009Scott & White Hospital, Temple, Bell County, Texas
MiscellaneousAPRIL 21, 2009Texas Death Certificate - Temple, Bell County, Texas
MiscellaneousAft APRIL 21, 2009Find A Grave Memorial - Restland Cemetery, Gatesville, Coryell County, Texas
BurialAPRIL 24, 2009Restland Cemetery, Gatesville, Coryell County, Texas
Alt nameEvelyn Estelle Lawrence

Families

SpouseDesmond Duncan Lawrence (1915 - 2000)
ChildSherry Lea Lawrence (1941 - )
ChildLarry Duncan Lawrence (1945 - )
FatherGussie Gibson "Gip" Johnson (1892 - 1959)
MotherMinnie Lucille Saunders (1891 - 1948)
SiblingMary Doris Johnson (1918 - 1933)
SiblingHelen Marie Johnson (1925 - 2018)

Webtags

Find A Grave

Notes

Birth

According to Evelyn Johnson Lawrence's Family History she was born at home in her parents house on N. 10th Street, Gatesville, Texas.

Her Delayed Birth Certificate issued 12-8-1982, shows:
Evelyn Estelle Johnson: born in Gatesville, Coryell County, Texas; 12-31-1920;
parents - Gussie Gibson Johnson and Minnie Saunders
Affidavit to birth: Gladys Saunders (aunt) of Pearl Star Route, Gatesville, Texas 76528 attests to the given facts on 12-8-1982.

The Texas Death Certificate for Evelyn Estelle Lawrence shows her date of birth as 12-31-1920 in Gatesville, Texas.

Miscellaneous

Evelyn Johnson Lawrence related the following story about her home (the John Ealy and Mary Francis Coleman Johnson home) being struck by lightening.

" When I was 8 or 9 we lived with Grandma and Grandpa Johnson in Oglesby. I milked a cow named Brownie, and got a bucket of milk for the family, a bucket for the cats, and the calf got the rest.
Grandmother Saunders [Mary Exah Hampton Saunders] gave me a Rhode Island Red hen and chicks, which I kept in a wire cage at night to protect them. One night it was raining real hard when I was trying to get them in the pen, and Doris [her sister] kept scaring them away so I wasn't able to get them in their pen before I had to get inside due to the heavy rain.
The lightening struck the stovepipe and traveled down to the iron cook stove. The small can of kerosene Mama [Minnie Lucille Saunders Johnson] used to start the cook fire exploded and sparks went through the floor and caught something under the house on fire. Everyone went out of the house into the rain. I was sent under the house to find out what was on fire. An old car seat was smoldering and when I pulled it out my hen and chicks were under it. They had gotten under there to keep dry."

Miscellaneous

Evelyn Johnson Lawrence realted this story about making doll clothes.

"Daddy [Gussie Gipson Johnson] let a salesman put a tobacco advertisement sign on their barn for $5.00. Doris [her sister] and I cut as much off the bottom of the sign as we could reach to use for paper doll clothes. Daddy was mad because he said 'he had agreed in good faith' to let the man advertise on the barn."

Miscellaneous

Evelyn Johnson Lawrence related this story about the family kittens.

"Daddy [Gussie Gibson Johnson] took some kittens down to a dump area and left them; but the mother cat brought them back home, and, in hiding them, one of the kittens fell between the walls of the barn. Daddy said if the cat wanted her kittens that bad she deserved to keep them, and he tore the wall off the barn to free the kitten."

Miscellaneous

Evelyn Johnson Lawrence related this story about her grandmother's wild chickens.

"Grandma Johnson [Mary Frances Coleman Johnson[ kept some kind of wild chickens, which roosted in the trees and nested in lard cans Grandma had placed in the trees. I had to climb up the trees to get the eggs."

Miscellaneous

While the family lived in Walnut Springs she would watch the cattle drives from their front porch. The cowboys rode up and down the street warning everyone to get out of the way since the cattle ran up in the yards.

Miscellaneous

The family didn't have any store made Christmas ornaments for their tree so Evelyn Johnson Lawrence and her sisters made their tree decorations from paper chains made by coloring between the lines of their school tablets and cutting them into strips; cutting strips of saved gum wrapper foil to make icicles; and the star for the tree top was made from cardboard and covered with saved gum wrapper foil.

Marriage

Married at Evelyn Johnson Lawrence's mother's home (the old home of Mr. and Mrs. T. A. Saunders, bride's grandparents), on N. 10 th Street in Gatesville, Texas, at 8:00 A.M., Sunday, 8-14-1938.

Honeymoon was in San Antonio, TX, after stopping to see the Texas Capitol building in Austin.
Their hotel didn't have air conditioning and was next door to a family home where chickens were raised. The roosters woke them up early every morning during their 2 or 3 day stay.


Death

The Texas Death Certificate for Evelyn Estelle Lawrence shows her date of death as 4-21-2009 at Scott & White Hospital in Temple, Texas.

Miscellaneous

The Texas Death Certificate for Evelyn Estelle Lawrence shows:
Birth: 12-31-1920 in Gatesville, TX
Death: 4-21-2009 at Scott & White Hospital in Temple, Bell Co., TX, at 4:25 PM
Parents: Gussie Gipson Johnson and Minnie Lucille Saunders
Widow
Informant: Sherry Lawrence, daughter
Burial: Restland Cemetery, Gatesville, TX

Miscellaneous

Her Find A Grave Memorial is #36214232.
The memorial shows a photograph of her double tombstone that is shared with her husband Desmond Lawrence and other personal photographs.

Find A Grave

#36214232

Endnotes

1. Evelyn Johnson Lawrence, Personal Communication with Evelyn Johnson Lawrence, Interviewer: Sherry Lawrence, Informant Address: Gatesville, TX (Lifetime).

2. Delayed Birth Certificates, Coryell County, Texas. Coryell County Clerk's Office, 620 E. Main Street, Gatesville, Texas, 76528..

3. Texas Deaths 1890-1976, FamilySearch Website, Digital images of original record, www.familysearch.org.

4. "Conversation with Evelyn Estelle (Johnson) Lawrence," 24 December 2003 by Sherry Lawrence, Written notes; Evelyn Johnson Lawrence experienced the related stories in person..

5. "Conversation with Evelyn Estelle (Johnson) Lawrence," 24 December 2003 by Sherry Lawrence, Written notes; Evelyn Johnson Lawrence experienced the related stories in person..

6. "Conversation with Evelyn Estelle (Johnson) Lawrence," 24 December 2003 by Sherry Lawrence, Written notes; Evelyn Johnson Lawrence experienced the related stories in person..

7. "Conversation with Evelyn Estelle (Johnson) Lawrence," 24 December 2003 by Sherry Lawrence, Written notes; Evelyn Johnson Lawrence experienced the related stories in person..

8. "Conversation with Evelyn Estelle (Johnson) Lawrence," 24 December 2003 by Sherry Lawrence, Written notes; Evelyn Johnson Lawrence experienced the related stories in person..

9. "Conversation with Evelyn Estelle (Johnson) Lawrence," 24 December 2003 by Sherry Lawrence, Written notes; Evelyn Johnson Lawrence experienced the related stories in person..

10. Evelyn Johnson Lawrence, Personal Communication with Evelyn Johnson Lawrence, Interviewer: Sherry Lawrence, Informant Address: Gatesville, TX (Lifetime).

11. "Conversation with Evelyn Estelle (Johnson) Lawrence," 24 December 2003 by Sherry Lawrence, Written notes; Evelyn Johnson Lawrence experienced the related stories in person..

12. "Texas County Marriage Records, 1837-1965, Digital Images," Family Search, Family Search (www.familysearch.org : Accessed 2015), Digital Images of Original Records, "Marriage Record," 73; Coryell County, Texas, Marriage Records.

13. Compiler: Marsha Richards and Williamson Family Reunion Attendees, Marsha Richards's Stephen Williamson Descendants (2011).

14. Texas Deaths 1890-1976, FamilySearch Website, Digital images of original record, www.familysearch.org.

15. Texas Deaths 1890-1976, FamilySearch Website, Digital images of original record, www.familysearch.org.

16. Find A Grave Web Site, Url: www.findagrave.com.

17. Find A Grave Web Site, Url: www.findagrave.com.

18. Desmond D. Lawrence, Second Person: Sherry Lawrence, Location: Gatesville, TX..