Frances Delores Lawson

Funeral services will be at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 23, 2018 at Victory Fellowship Church in Fulton. Burial will follow at Southside Cemetery. The family will receive guests from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the services at the church.

Frances was born on December 15, 1933 in Callaway County to the late Irvin and Ruth Dudley Brown. She was married to William Eugene Lawson who preceded her in death.

Frances graduated from Lincoln High School in Jefferson City before receiving her Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Lincoln University. She later became the first African American woman to graduate from William Woods University where she received her Master’s Degree in Social Work.

She was the Director of the Fulton Head Start Program and had worked for the Fulton State Hospital until her retirement.

Frances was an active member and the pianist for St. James United Methodist Church in Fulton. She was also known to have played the piano for many other local churches. She was a member of the NAACP and had served as a Girl Scout Leader and Boy Scout Den Mother.

She is survived by seven sons, Rodney (Mary) Lawson of Kansas City, Missouri, Perry (Vestamae) Lawson , Stephen Lawson , Milton Lawson , Alan (Jennifer) Lawson, Don (Charlene) Lawson all of Fulton and Robert Thorpe of Kansas City; four daughters, Joyce Lawson of Fulton, Anita (Earl) Jones of Kansas City, Donna Lawson of Columbia, Missouri and Kay Vaughn of Fulton; three sisters, Vivian Burwell of Texas, Elaine (Sam) Britt of Chicago, Illinois and Bernadette (Roosevelt) Carter of California along with a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and other loving family members.

She was also preceded in death one son, Terry Lawson; two brothers, Clarence and Thomas Brown and two sisters, Lavonna Coats and Nanny Lou Edwards.

In lie of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. James United Methodist Church in care of Debo Funeral Home, 833 Court Street, Fulton, Missouri 65251.