Mr. Stephen Lawrence

LAWRENCE, Stephen Samuel "Mr. Steve", a long-time resident farmer of Williamson County, died May 14, 2011, at the age of 89. He was the son of the late Stephen James and Margaret Morel Lawrence. He was also predeceased by a son, Stephen Alfred Lawrence, a sister, Marybelle L. Osborn; brother, Francis. He is survived by wife, Martha West Lawrence, to whom he had been married for 69 years; a daughter, Catherine Ashley (Richard) Warren of Nashville; and three grandchildren, John Richardson (Ginny) Warren of Los Angeles, CA, Stephen Fenton (Martha) Warren of San Francisco, CA, and Rachael Lawrence (Michael) Schiavello of Franklin and several beloved nieces and nephews. Steve grew up in Davidson County. He was an Eagle Scout and Junior Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 9, which was sponsored by West End UMC in Nashville. He attended Central High School and in 1939 was honored during "Boys' Week" to serve for one hour as Mayor of Nashville, a program sponsored by the Davidson county Chamber of Commerce. His free time was spent hunting and fishing and visiting many of his mother's relatives in the 16th District of Williamson County. He attended the University of Tennessee, enrolled in the School of Agriculture. World War II changed his life, as it did for many others. In the summer of 1942 he volunteered into the United States Navy and served for 28 months in the Pacific Theater as a Boatswain Mate 2/C in the 88th Naval Construction Battalion. After the war, Steve enrolled in Vanderbilt University and graduated in 1948 with majors in history and economics. During his senior year he was elected Commander of the Sigma Chapter of the Sigma Nu fraternity. Later he earned a Master's degree in historic preservation from MTSU. After school years he joined the Graybar Electric Company in the sales department. Fifteen years later he joined the staff of the Ladies Hermitage Association and served as Director of The Hermitage. After seven years he accepted the post as Executive Secretary of the Tennessee Historical Commission. In 1971 he resigned that post and dedicated the remaining work years developing the family's herd of Angus cattle. When Steve returned from the war he and Martha purchased land in eastern Davidson County and built their first home and barns and began the development of their registered Angus herd. The adventure was named Lauren Hill. The Donelson farm was sold in 1960 and the family moved to Williamson County to property large enough for their growing cattle herd. The farm was located on Lampkin Bridge Road in the Arrington Community. In their senior years, they enjoyed a winter home in Naples, FL. Steve took pride in the maintenance of the lawn, his flowers and especially his roses. He was an avid fly fisherman using his own handmade flies. He was also active in the field of historic preservation, serving on the boards of the Carter House and of the Carnton Plantation. He was a founder and first president of the Williamson County Historical Society as well as active in the founding and serving as president of the Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County. A memorial service will be held at First United Methodist Church in Franklin on Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 2:00 PM with Dr. H. Lynn Hill presiding. Visitation will be 5-7PM Friday, May 20 at Williamson Memorial Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service on Saturday at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Carter Center, Atlanta; the Nashville Rescue Mission, Nashville, the First United Methodist Church Building Fund, Franklin or to the charity of one's choice. WILLIAMSON MEMORIAL FUNERAL HOME, 615 794-2289. www.williamsonmemorial.com

Visitation Details

Friday, May 20th, 2011 5:00pm - 7:00pm, Williamson Memorial Funeral Home

Saturday, May 21st, 2011 1:00pm - 2:00pm, Franklin First United Methodist Church

Service Information

Saturday, May 21st, 2011 2:00pm, Franklin First United Methodist Church

Interment Details

Mt. Hope Cemetery