Luther Curtis Lawson (1911 - 1944)

Born 8 Jan 1911 in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi

Ancestors

Husband of Wilbur Burl (Epps) Lawson — married 25 Jan 1928 in Charleston, Mississippi

Husband of Helen Celeste (Bowen) Harrington — married 15 Apr 1938 in Clayton, Missouri

Descendants

Died 3 Sep 1944 at age 33 in Mare Island, Solano, California, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Nicholas Lawson [send private message]

Life of Luther Curtis Lawson

Family, Birth, and Early Life

Luther Curtis Lawson was the 6th child born to Joseph Wilson Lawson and Rosa Lee (Sheley) Lawson in Tallahatchie, Mississippi. His father, Joseph, was born to "Wm Lawson" and Nancy, who might have been called "Bettie" (a family record describes his mother as a "Nancy Elizabeth Darby")

Luther was the youngest of his 5 siblings, William, Robert, Lawrence, Marvin, and Thelma. His parents had one more son after Luther, but the babe did not live to see early childhood, Albert Lawson died of whooping cough in 1915 shortly after their mother Rosa died from pneumonia in 1914. Joseph passed unexpectedly in Memphis, TN where he had been carried for an operation on gallstones.

Luther, only 8 years old at the passing of father, was sent to live with a relative of his mother, Homer and Lisa Hall.

Marriage and Move to St. Louis

In early adulthood, Luther married a young girl named Wilbur Epps, both of them were born in Mississippi and moved together to St. Louis, Missouri, also where Luther's brothers had moved to years before.

Luther and Wilbur Marriage

Together Wilbur and Luther had 4 children, Rose WIlleen, Luther Warren, Curtis Ray, and a daughter that is omitted as she is still living as of 2017. The marriage between the two did not last as Wilbur died shortly after giving birth their son, Curtis Ray Lawson.

Luther Curtis Lawson and Wilbur (Epps) Lawson

Marriage with Helen

Luther eventually went on to remarry, twice. His second marriage did not last long but it was with a woman known as Beulah Cash, however they had no children together and the marriage was short-lived.

Helen (Bowen) Lawson and Luther Curtis Lawson

After his second marriage he married a woman named Helen Celeste Bowen on April 15th, 1938. Luther had three sons with Helen, firstborn was George Stanley, Vernon Phillip, and James Robert.

The Navy, WWII, and His Death.

During the second World War, Luther was part of the United States Navy Reserve and was called to active duty on the 23rd of December of 1943. He was stationed on the USS Montpelier.

S2C Luther Curtis Lawson

More can be read about life on the USS Montpelier in "Pacific war diary, 1942-1945: The Secret diary of an American Sailor", which is the secret diary of James Fahey who was also stationed there until the ship decommissioned in 1945.

USS Montpelier (CL-57)

However, in September 1944, Luther died from multiple extreme head injuries in Mare Island, CA where the ships was getting overhauled. It is unclear whether he accidently fell, killed himself, or was murdered. An investigation was launched by the Navy but his death remains a mystery.

Sources

• "California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VPQ8-GPD : 26 November 2014), Luther Curtis Lawson, 03 Sep 1944; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento

• Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 [1]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.

• National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland, United States; Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities, 01/01/1939 - 01/01/1949; Record Group: 24, Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, 1798 - 2007; Series ARC ID: 594996; Series MLR Number: A1 135

• National Cemetery Administration. U.S. Veterans' Gravesites, ca.1775-2006 [2]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

• Ancestry.com. Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002 [3]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007. Original data: Missouri Marriage Records. Jefferson City, MO, USA: Missouri State Archives. Microfilm.

• Year: 1940; Census Place: St Louis, St Louis City, Missouri; Roll: T627_2194; Page: 13B; Enumeration District: 96-325

• Year: 1940; Census Place: St Louis, St Louis City, Missouri; Roll: T627_2194; Page: 13B; Enumeration District: 96-325

• Year: 1920; Census Place: Beat 2, Tallahatchie, Mississippi; Roll: T625_895; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 75; Image: 77