Margaret Lawson Hammer

Born Stella Margaret Lawson, July 7, 1918 in Tyler, Texas, she was the fourth child of Joseph Henry Lawson and Nora Lee Fine. Margaret grew up in Commerce and attended East Texas State Teachers College. While living in Commerce she met and married John Hargis Hammer December 25, 1939.

When Johnny enlisted in the Army Air Corp during World War II, Margaret made her contribution to the war effort, too. She worked at Consolidated Vultee, an aircraft manufacturer with Texas sites located in Dallas and Fort Worth. There she saw the production of B-24s, C-87 cargo planes, and F-16 fighter planes.

Margaret and Johnny spent their early years together living in Commerce, Mission, Mt. Vernon, Spring Hill and Longview before finally settling in Conroe, Texas in 1954 where Johnny accepted a position as coach with the Conroe Independent School District.

Margaret was proud to be a coach’s wife and faithfully attended every football game for the Conroe Tigers with the other coaches’ wives, all of which were dear friends of hers. After Johnny passed away in 1975, Margaret dedicated eleven years of her life to the Conroe Independent School District as a teacher’s aide. She loved the kids she worked with and respected the teachers she supported.

Margaret married her second husband, Harold Arthur Kirton on July 7, 1986 continuing to live in Conroe. They always enjoyed their trips to Hawaii. Harold passed away in 2000.

On March 8, 2002 Margaret married her third husband (three’s a charm she said) Norman Seman Strange. She resided in Dallas until 2009 when she moved to Huntsville to be near her daughters.

Margaret was preceded in death by her parents: two brothers, Joseph Odell Lawson and Neal Lawson; two sisters, Dorothy Bernice Lawson McPherson and Lillie Mae Lawson; husbands, John Hargis Hammer and Harold Arthur Kirton; and daughter Judy Lee Wynkoop. She leaves to cherish her memory daughter Martha Minnick and husband Joe, grandson Michael Minnick, granddaughter Jennifer Jane Ray, great- grandson Kristopher Albrecht, great-granddaughter Britni Rodriguez, great great-grandson Elijah Albrecht, and son-in-law Paul Wynkoop. She was well thought of by her neighbors and staff of her residential community and will be missed by them as well.

Margaret will have the honor and privilege of being laid to rest with her beloved husband, Johnny, in the Houston National Cemetery.