Post by Angela on Jun 5, 2009 10:36:07 GMT -5
How and when I learned about the Lawson murders:
1. From L. Dean, High School Teacher In Patrick County, Virginia
Today at 03:06 PM
A friend at work first told me about the tragedy of the Lawson family. I was new in the area, and the first book was out. She had finished reading it and offered it to me. When I asked her what it was about, she teared up and couldn't talk about it. She simply said it would be one of the saddest true stories I would ever read. Later we agreed to find the cemetery, but never did. Every time I traveled through the Germantown area, I thought about the cemetery and the story, but didn't make it there until this summer.
My friend never could talk about the tragedy without crying and shaking her head.
2. From Ginny Wilmouth, College Student
I heard about the Lawson family and the murders for the first time in July of 2006 while attending my cousins funeral. My Aunt pearl started talking about a man named Charlie Lawson who killed his family and that some people were making a movie about it. I asked her who Charlie Lawson was and she said he was my great great uncle. Then she went on to tell the whole story. She told me how she and her family lived just down the road from the Lawsons and that when she was a child she would look out the window and see the smoke from their chimney and that Fannie Lawson must have been a good cook because the smell of cookies baking smelled so good. Aunt Pearl said she toured the Lawson home after the murders and that she took one of the raisins off the raisin cake. Some months after hearing this story I saw a flyer about auditions being held for actors and actresses for a film called A Christmas Family Tragedy. I auditioned and was given the role of Marie Lawson.
3. From Sissy
I first heard the story of the Lawson family when I was very young. My grandparents lived in Stokes Co. My grandpa died before I was born so I never got the chance to meet him. But every Sunday we would got to visit my grandmother. And I became fascinated with a black and white picture she had on her wall. I can remember sitting there for hours staring at that picture. I remember thinking how sad these people look. I know I asked my grandma once who they were, and why they looked so sad. I can remember her saying "Honey that was Charlie Lawson". I asked why do they look so sad, but she would just smile and say, "honey you are too young to be worrying about such things". My grandmother passed away when I was 12 years old. And I forgot all about that sad looking picture, until I saw a book called "White Christmas, Bloody Christmas". I read this book then it hit me, this was the family in the picture hanging on my grandparents wall. After doing some investigating, I found out that my great-grandpa and Charlies grandpa were brothers. I just wish that I had that picture and that I had asked more questions of my grandmother. I am very thankful that you guy's made this movie to help tell the truth behind their story.
4. From Beth Nolen, Insurance Agent
My knowledge of the Lawson story is sort of like Matt's, scary! My grandfather took me and my three brothers to see the house in October of 1981. My grandfather worked for RJ Reynolds for many years. Most of his time was spent in Stokes Co. He told us the Lawson story with amazing accuracy in front of the very house. I remember feeling like I had eaten something sour and I tingled all over. The house was really overgrown at the time with lots of trees around it. There was the worst hill going up to the house. It was all very spooky. My brothers did not believe the story, but I did. My brothers begged to go in the house, but my grandfather would not let them go in. Instead, he took us to the grave site. I can still feel the chill as my grandfather pointed out all of the December 25ths, 1929. My brothers were amazed and I was terrified. The headstone sealed the deal for me. I thought, how could a father do such a thing to his own children. That was a horrible picture for a 10 year old, but I am so glad my grandfather shared the story with me. I have been fascinated ever since. Perhaps this is my way of feeling close to my grandfather now he is gone. Sadly my grandfather passed away in 1991. He would have enjoyed all the new pictures and details. I do not know how he got his information on the Lawson story, but I wish I had asked him before he passed. He knew so much.
5. Angel71242
I heard of Charlie Lawson through a friend of mine in 1998. (her last name is Lawson!! (no relation). I've always been interested in true crime stories and after she told me the story she took me to the grave site where the Lawson family is buried. This was the first time I ever got to go to the grave of the victims of a crime so it was very fascinating for me and still is!! When my friend first told me the story I had some really bad dreams about it for a year or two. I never forgot about the murders so I was thrilled when I heard about a documentary that had been made about it. I went to see it and it made the story I’d heard come alive for me. After watching the documentary I bought a copy of the DVD and have watched it at least seven times. I have now joined the message forum about the murders of the Lawson family where I keep learning more and more about what happened and the circumstances surrounding it.
6. From Todd
I first heard about the Lawson murders way back in like 80 or 81. My great grandfather was talking to my father about it and even then as young as I was, it seemed very interesting to me. My great grandfather had gone to the funeral and spoke of all the hub-bub that it caused. My dad being the interested person that he is, loaded me and my mother in the car and took us to the house, not telling either of us where we were going, and after we all inspected the house and what-not, he finally told us where we were, and it scared my mom to death. We didn’t have any paranormal experiences there like Matt did even though I wished we had, but it still was a very interesting experience to say the least. They tore the house down a little bit after that.
I wasn’t able to find the graveyard till 2000 after we did our Payne Road investigation.
7. From Clarence Hall
The year I was 14 years old (1947) I became interested in learning to play the guitar. My dad
traded for a small inexpensive one from my cousin and he taught me a few chords and got me started. He had played in a band before he married my mom in 1932 but had not played since. He and mom knew the song about the Lawson Murder and knew about the killings and told me the story as they knew it.
I first heard the tune and the words when mom sang it for me. We had a Victrola and a lot of old records BUT we didn't have that record. I suppose some of her friends had it and that is where she learned it.
Dad knew some of the Manring family and was raised in the edge of Stokes County and that made it more interesting for me.
Mom had an uncle that took his own life about a month after the Lawson murder and he lived only a mile from us. She often wondered if the publicity of the Lawsons had some effect on what he did.
I didn't visit the Lawson's graves until after I married in 1954. My father-in -law knew where
the cemetery was and took us by on our way back from a trip to Winston-Salem one day.
8. From Tim Lawson
I can't remember a time when I didn't know of the murders. My Grandmother Haley toured the Lawson cabin when the tours were going on in the 1930s and I listened to her talk about it from the time I was a small child and it stayed with me.
1. From L. Dean, High School Teacher In Patrick County, Virginia
Today at 03:06 PM
A friend at work first told me about the tragedy of the Lawson family. I was new in the area, and the first book was out. She had finished reading it and offered it to me. When I asked her what it was about, she teared up and couldn't talk about it. She simply said it would be one of the saddest true stories I would ever read. Later we agreed to find the cemetery, but never did. Every time I traveled through the Germantown area, I thought about the cemetery and the story, but didn't make it there until this summer.
My friend never could talk about the tragedy without crying and shaking her head.
2. From Ginny Wilmouth, College Student
I heard about the Lawson family and the murders for the first time in July of 2006 while attending my cousins funeral. My Aunt pearl started talking about a man named Charlie Lawson who killed his family and that some people were making a movie about it. I asked her who Charlie Lawson was and she said he was my great great uncle. Then she went on to tell the whole story. She told me how she and her family lived just down the road from the Lawsons and that when she was a child she would look out the window and see the smoke from their chimney and that Fannie Lawson must have been a good cook because the smell of cookies baking smelled so good. Aunt Pearl said she toured the Lawson home after the murders and that she took one of the raisins off the raisin cake. Some months after hearing this story I saw a flyer about auditions being held for actors and actresses for a film called A Christmas Family Tragedy. I auditioned and was given the role of Marie Lawson.
3. From Sissy
I first heard the story of the Lawson family when I was very young. My grandparents lived in Stokes Co. My grandpa died before I was born so I never got the chance to meet him. But every Sunday we would got to visit my grandmother. And I became fascinated with a black and white picture she had on her wall. I can remember sitting there for hours staring at that picture. I remember thinking how sad these people look. I know I asked my grandma once who they were, and why they looked so sad. I can remember her saying "Honey that was Charlie Lawson". I asked why do they look so sad, but she would just smile and say, "honey you are too young to be worrying about such things". My grandmother passed away when I was 12 years old. And I forgot all about that sad looking picture, until I saw a book called "White Christmas, Bloody Christmas". I read this book then it hit me, this was the family in the picture hanging on my grandparents wall. After doing some investigating, I found out that my great-grandpa and Charlies grandpa were brothers. I just wish that I had that picture and that I had asked more questions of my grandmother. I am very thankful that you guy's made this movie to help tell the truth behind their story.
4. From Beth Nolen, Insurance Agent
My knowledge of the Lawson story is sort of like Matt's, scary! My grandfather took me and my three brothers to see the house in October of 1981. My grandfather worked for RJ Reynolds for many years. Most of his time was spent in Stokes Co. He told us the Lawson story with amazing accuracy in front of the very house. I remember feeling like I had eaten something sour and I tingled all over. The house was really overgrown at the time with lots of trees around it. There was the worst hill going up to the house. It was all very spooky. My brothers did not believe the story, but I did. My brothers begged to go in the house, but my grandfather would not let them go in. Instead, he took us to the grave site. I can still feel the chill as my grandfather pointed out all of the December 25ths, 1929. My brothers were amazed and I was terrified. The headstone sealed the deal for me. I thought, how could a father do such a thing to his own children. That was a horrible picture for a 10 year old, but I am so glad my grandfather shared the story with me. I have been fascinated ever since. Perhaps this is my way of feeling close to my grandfather now he is gone. Sadly my grandfather passed away in 1991. He would have enjoyed all the new pictures and details. I do not know how he got his information on the Lawson story, but I wish I had asked him before he passed. He knew so much.
5. Angel71242
I heard of Charlie Lawson through a friend of mine in 1998. (her last name is Lawson!! (no relation). I've always been interested in true crime stories and after she told me the story she took me to the grave site where the Lawson family is buried. This was the first time I ever got to go to the grave of the victims of a crime so it was very fascinating for me and still is!! When my friend first told me the story I had some really bad dreams about it for a year or two. I never forgot about the murders so I was thrilled when I heard about a documentary that had been made about it. I went to see it and it made the story I’d heard come alive for me. After watching the documentary I bought a copy of the DVD and have watched it at least seven times. I have now joined the message forum about the murders of the Lawson family where I keep learning more and more about what happened and the circumstances surrounding it.
6. From Todd
I first heard about the Lawson murders way back in like 80 or 81. My great grandfather was talking to my father about it and even then as young as I was, it seemed very interesting to me. My great grandfather had gone to the funeral and spoke of all the hub-bub that it caused. My dad being the interested person that he is, loaded me and my mother in the car and took us to the house, not telling either of us where we were going, and after we all inspected the house and what-not, he finally told us where we were, and it scared my mom to death. We didn’t have any paranormal experiences there like Matt did even though I wished we had, but it still was a very interesting experience to say the least. They tore the house down a little bit after that.
I wasn’t able to find the graveyard till 2000 after we did our Payne Road investigation.
7. From Clarence Hall
The year I was 14 years old (1947) I became interested in learning to play the guitar. My dad
traded for a small inexpensive one from my cousin and he taught me a few chords and got me started. He had played in a band before he married my mom in 1932 but had not played since. He and mom knew the song about the Lawson Murder and knew about the killings and told me the story as they knew it.
I first heard the tune and the words when mom sang it for me. We had a Victrola and a lot of old records BUT we didn't have that record. I suppose some of her friends had it and that is where she learned it.
Dad knew some of the Manring family and was raised in the edge of Stokes County and that made it more interesting for me.
Mom had an uncle that took his own life about a month after the Lawson murder and he lived only a mile from us. She often wondered if the publicity of the Lawsons had some effect on what he did.
I didn't visit the Lawson's graves until after I married in 1954. My father-in -law knew where
the cemetery was and took us by on our way back from a trip to Winston-Salem one day.
8. From Tim Lawson
I can't remember a time when I didn't know of the murders. My Grandmother Haley toured the Lawson cabin when the tours were going on in the 1930s and I listened to her talk about it from the time I was a small child and it stayed with me.