Post by Brian on Jun 26, 2009 12:43:38 GMT -5
02/06/07 at 07:32 AM
Maria
Questions as to where Charlie Lawson lived during his lifetime and his genealogy were asked by way of email last night to some of the people in the message forum. Although I answered this question on January 23,1 will post it here again for the benefit of others who have not seen this before. Charlie's genealogy, but only a portion of it, will be dealt with in a separate thread.
WHERE CHARLIE LIVED:
They lived in Lawsonville because that's where their parents lived and that's where they were born, grew up, married, and had children. Charlie and Fannie did not leave Lawsonville and move to Germanton until they were married and four of their children...Marie, Arthur, William, and Carrie had been born. They moved to Germanton in 1918 and lived there until their deaths in 1929. They lived in Lawsonville for 32 years of their lives but lived in Germanton for only eleven years. I'll go ahead and answer a question that will likely be asked next which is why the family left Lawsonville where they had been born and raised and move to Germanton. They moved to Germanton because they heard that land was cheaper there and the earth more amendable for growing corn and tobacco which became Charlie Lawson's two biggest cash crops. Also, some of Charlie's brothers had already moved to Germanton. A year after leaving Lawsonville in 1918 and moving to Germanton, Charlie's father William Augustus Lawson, died in Lawsonville and was buried there in Snow Creek Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery. Gus's wife Nancy (Charlie's mother) left Lawsonville 2 years after the death of her husband and moved to Germanton to be with her children. For awhile she lived with her son Marion Lawson, Charlie's brother. Nancy died in 1945 and is buried in Browder Cemetery. Also buried in Browder Cemetery is Marion Lawson and wife and George Lawson and wife Nina. George Lawson is another one of Charlie Lawson's brothers. Elijah Lawson, another brother of Charlie's, is buried in Snow Creek Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Lawsonville along with their father Gus Lawson.
Maria
02/06/07 at 12:32 PM
douglasboulding
hi maria do you happen to know where Guss Lawson's home site stood at snow creek? Sara Etta Lawson sister of Charlie she is also buried at snow creek below her father. I have been to the graves but would love to find where Guss Lawson home stood.
keneth d boulding
02/06/07 at 12:36 PM
Maria
No Doug, I'm sorry to say I don't. I too would LOVE to know where his home was. But if I find out I will let you know immediately.
Maria
02/06/07 at 05:10 PM
linda
Maria, did Marion Lawson ever remarry? On his tombstone there was a name other than his first wife but I may have been mistaken. In the documentary it said the Charlie Lawson family were buried on maybe hollow ground? Please explain this and why if you can. Thanks'!
linda smith
02/06/07 at 05:30 PM
Maria
Hi Linda,
Yes, Marion remarried after the death of his first wife Jettie Ashby in 1928 at the age of 34. She died from complications from child birth. He married a lady named Vera? Burge but not sure how much longer after Jettie died that he married again.
Maria
02/06/07 at 07:59 PM
linda
Thanks for getting back so soon with the info on Marion. I'm still wondering about them being buried on hollow ground and what does this mean and why?
linda smith
02/06/07 at 08:07 PM
ecalhoun
Hey Linda -
We were referring to hallowed ground, i.e. church ground which is holy. Some denominations believe that suicide and/or murder is a mortal sin, a sin that condemns the sinner to damnation regardless of their other actions, and the sinner could not be buried on hallowed ground.
Eric
Break of Dawn Productions
"Bringing Light to the Darkest Night"
ecalhoun
02/06/07 at 08:10 PM
Maria
Back then, and even today, some churches would not let a person be buried in their graveyard that had comitted suicide or murder. This would apply to Charlie Lawson and since his family was buried in the same grave plot it would extend to them. Since Browder Cemetery was not affiliated with the church per se then that tells me that Charlie's family might have tried to have him buried somewhere else first...say Snow Creek Primitive Baptist Church in Lawsonville where Charlie's father Gus Lawson was buried, and were turned down so they settled for Browder Cemetery which had no such regulation. This is just my opinion. I could be wrong. Except for the part about some churches not allowing suicides to be buried in their church cemetery since the grounds of the church were considered to be hallowed. That part I know is right.
Maria
02/07/07 at 02:21 PM
linda
Thanks to both of you for explaining the hallowed ground for me. I kind of thought this was the reason. My son and I are still trying to figure out the pictures we took on Sun. of the grave sites and the one on Charlie that had the energy field coming from it. We may have to go back and take more pictures to see how they may turn out.
linda smith
02/12/07 at 04:16 PM
iluvnumber3
My opinion is that Charlie should have been placed in a different grave/location. I say this due to the beliefs of the churches/denomnations. The rest of the family did no harm (that we are aware of).
iluvnumber3
02/12/07 at 04:24 PM
Maria
The family decided at the last minute that they thought the whole family should be buried together in the same grave so that is what they did. I don't know if both sides of the family (Mr. Lawson's mother, brothers and sisters and Fannie's parents and brothers and sisters) thought the same way or not.
Maria
02/12/07 at 04:56 PM
iluvnumber3
Thank you Maria.
If I were the Manring (Fannie's) family, I would not have wanted him in the same plot. I know that it is only right to place the entire family in the same cemetery, but he should have been laid to rest elsewhere.
02/12/07 at 05:07 PM
Maria
Neither would I Holly. Neither would I. But now what decisions my family would make I could do nothing about. But I wouldn't want to be buried beside whoever killed me even if it were my husband or my father. And I would not want the person who killed someone I loved buried in the same grave or even in the same cemetery with them. Love ends where murder begins is the way i feel.
Maria
02/12/07 at 05:21 PM
iluvnumber3
I totally agree. For example, I am sure Lad Petterson's parents would NEVER want Scott buried next to her. It is just wrong. It is the same difference now and then.
-Holly
iluvnumber3
02/13/07 at 12:04 AM
jackhammer
I wonder how many of the family members believed at the time of the murders, that Charlie was the murderer. Capshsb, the poster that said that she was Arthur's granddaughter, said that her grandfather never believed that his father was the murderer. If that were true, then I guess that other family members probably believed that as well, cause if they didn't, I think that Arthur would have seen the handwriting on the wall. So, maybe making the decision to bury Charlie with his family was made because they didn't believe that he did it.
I can't think of another case where a murderer was placed into the same grave with his victims (except maybe something like the 9/11 hijackers entombed with WTC victims).
Much of the evil in the world is brought about by people believing they are acting for good and righteous reasons. -
Margaret Weis
jackhammer
02/13/07 at 07:01 PM
Maria
The funeral was held on friday afternoon, December 27th, 1929.
Maria
02/15/07 at 01:29 PM
I just joined this forum and it's great. It's full of very interesting information. I moved to Walnut Cove 4 years ago from Kernersville. I had heard about the murders and wanted to go by the cemetery. I can't seem to find it. I tried a yahoo map but I just ended up driving up and down bolejack/payne road. Does anyone have fairly easy directions they can give me so that we may go by Browder Cemetery?
Thanks,
Lauri
02/15/07 at 02:02 PM
sissy
Welcome to our forum mcpepper,
I know that the cemetery is on brookecove road. If you go to the search feature at the top of the threads and type in cemetery, I'm sure you will find the directions and all kinds of other cool info. Thanks and again welcome!!
sissy
02/15/07 at 03:30 PM
mcpepper
Thank you both so much for your help. I'm going to try again on Saturday. I just bought the new book and the DVD today. I can't wait to read/watch them. I have the original book "Bloody Christmas" and became fascinated after reading that book and have waited so long for new information. This forum is really very interesting and I appreciate all the time everyone has put into it.
Thanks again,
Lauri
02/15/07 at 03:42 PM
ecalhoun
As always, please be respectful when visiting the cemetery!!!
There have been problems in the past, so the folks who live around and on the board of the cemetery are a little nervous about visitors. If you choose to visit, prove 'em wrong, and treat the cemetery and the story with the respect it deserves.
Thanks!
Break of Dawn Productions
"Bringing Light to the Darkest Night"
ecalhoun
Maria
Questions as to where Charlie Lawson lived during his lifetime and his genealogy were asked by way of email last night to some of the people in the message forum. Although I answered this question on January 23,1 will post it here again for the benefit of others who have not seen this before. Charlie's genealogy, but only a portion of it, will be dealt with in a separate thread.
WHERE CHARLIE LIVED:
They lived in Lawsonville because that's where their parents lived and that's where they were born, grew up, married, and had children. Charlie and Fannie did not leave Lawsonville and move to Germanton until they were married and four of their children...Marie, Arthur, William, and Carrie had been born. They moved to Germanton in 1918 and lived there until their deaths in 1929. They lived in Lawsonville for 32 years of their lives but lived in Germanton for only eleven years. I'll go ahead and answer a question that will likely be asked next which is why the family left Lawsonville where they had been born and raised and move to Germanton. They moved to Germanton because they heard that land was cheaper there and the earth more amendable for growing corn and tobacco which became Charlie Lawson's two biggest cash crops. Also, some of Charlie's brothers had already moved to Germanton. A year after leaving Lawsonville in 1918 and moving to Germanton, Charlie's father William Augustus Lawson, died in Lawsonville and was buried there in Snow Creek Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery. Gus's wife Nancy (Charlie's mother) left Lawsonville 2 years after the death of her husband and moved to Germanton to be with her children. For awhile she lived with her son Marion Lawson, Charlie's brother. Nancy died in 1945 and is buried in Browder Cemetery. Also buried in Browder Cemetery is Marion Lawson and wife and George Lawson and wife Nina. George Lawson is another one of Charlie Lawson's brothers. Elijah Lawson, another brother of Charlie's, is buried in Snow Creek Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Lawsonville along with their father Gus Lawson.
Maria
02/06/07 at 12:32 PM
douglasboulding
hi maria do you happen to know where Guss Lawson's home site stood at snow creek? Sara Etta Lawson sister of Charlie she is also buried at snow creek below her father. I have been to the graves but would love to find where Guss Lawson home stood.
keneth d boulding
02/06/07 at 12:36 PM
Maria
No Doug, I'm sorry to say I don't. I too would LOVE to know where his home was. But if I find out I will let you know immediately.
Maria
02/06/07 at 05:10 PM
linda
Maria, did Marion Lawson ever remarry? On his tombstone there was a name other than his first wife but I may have been mistaken. In the documentary it said the Charlie Lawson family were buried on maybe hollow ground? Please explain this and why if you can. Thanks'!
linda smith
02/06/07 at 05:30 PM
Maria
Hi Linda,
Yes, Marion remarried after the death of his first wife Jettie Ashby in 1928 at the age of 34. She died from complications from child birth. He married a lady named Vera? Burge but not sure how much longer after Jettie died that he married again.
Maria
02/06/07 at 07:59 PM
linda
Thanks for getting back so soon with the info on Marion. I'm still wondering about them being buried on hollow ground and what does this mean and why?
linda smith
02/06/07 at 08:07 PM
ecalhoun
Hey Linda -
We were referring to hallowed ground, i.e. church ground which is holy. Some denominations believe that suicide and/or murder is a mortal sin, a sin that condemns the sinner to damnation regardless of their other actions, and the sinner could not be buried on hallowed ground.
Eric
Break of Dawn Productions
"Bringing Light to the Darkest Night"
ecalhoun
02/06/07 at 08:10 PM
Maria
Back then, and even today, some churches would not let a person be buried in their graveyard that had comitted suicide or murder. This would apply to Charlie Lawson and since his family was buried in the same grave plot it would extend to them. Since Browder Cemetery was not affiliated with the church per se then that tells me that Charlie's family might have tried to have him buried somewhere else first...say Snow Creek Primitive Baptist Church in Lawsonville where Charlie's father Gus Lawson was buried, and were turned down so they settled for Browder Cemetery which had no such regulation. This is just my opinion. I could be wrong. Except for the part about some churches not allowing suicides to be buried in their church cemetery since the grounds of the church were considered to be hallowed. That part I know is right.
Maria
02/07/07 at 02:21 PM
linda
Thanks to both of you for explaining the hallowed ground for me. I kind of thought this was the reason. My son and I are still trying to figure out the pictures we took on Sun. of the grave sites and the one on Charlie that had the energy field coming from it. We may have to go back and take more pictures to see how they may turn out.
linda smith
02/12/07 at 04:16 PM
iluvnumber3
My opinion is that Charlie should have been placed in a different grave/location. I say this due to the beliefs of the churches/denomnations. The rest of the family did no harm (that we are aware of).
iluvnumber3
02/12/07 at 04:24 PM
Maria
The family decided at the last minute that they thought the whole family should be buried together in the same grave so that is what they did. I don't know if both sides of the family (Mr. Lawson's mother, brothers and sisters and Fannie's parents and brothers and sisters) thought the same way or not.
Maria
02/12/07 at 04:56 PM
iluvnumber3
Thank you Maria.
If I were the Manring (Fannie's) family, I would not have wanted him in the same plot. I know that it is only right to place the entire family in the same cemetery, but he should have been laid to rest elsewhere.
02/12/07 at 05:07 PM
Maria
Neither would I Holly. Neither would I. But now what decisions my family would make I could do nothing about. But I wouldn't want to be buried beside whoever killed me even if it were my husband or my father. And I would not want the person who killed someone I loved buried in the same grave or even in the same cemetery with them. Love ends where murder begins is the way i feel.
Maria
02/12/07 at 05:21 PM
iluvnumber3
I totally agree. For example, I am sure Lad Petterson's parents would NEVER want Scott buried next to her. It is just wrong. It is the same difference now and then.
-Holly
iluvnumber3
02/13/07 at 12:04 AM
jackhammer
I wonder how many of the family members believed at the time of the murders, that Charlie was the murderer. Capshsb, the poster that said that she was Arthur's granddaughter, said that her grandfather never believed that his father was the murderer. If that were true, then I guess that other family members probably believed that as well, cause if they didn't, I think that Arthur would have seen the handwriting on the wall. So, maybe making the decision to bury Charlie with his family was made because they didn't believe that he did it.
I can't think of another case where a murderer was placed into the same grave with his victims (except maybe something like the 9/11 hijackers entombed with WTC victims).
Much of the evil in the world is brought about by people believing they are acting for good and righteous reasons. -
Margaret Weis
jackhammer
02/13/07 at 07:01 PM
Maria
The funeral was held on friday afternoon, December 27th, 1929.
Maria
02/15/07 at 01:29 PM
I just joined this forum and it's great. It's full of very interesting information. I moved to Walnut Cove 4 years ago from Kernersville. I had heard about the murders and wanted to go by the cemetery. I can't seem to find it. I tried a yahoo map but I just ended up driving up and down bolejack/payne road. Does anyone have fairly easy directions they can give me so that we may go by Browder Cemetery?
Thanks,
Lauri
02/15/07 at 02:02 PM
sissy
Welcome to our forum mcpepper,
I know that the cemetery is on brookecove road. If you go to the search feature at the top of the threads and type in cemetery, I'm sure you will find the directions and all kinds of other cool info. Thanks and again welcome!!
sissy
02/15/07 at 03:30 PM
mcpepper
Thank you both so much for your help. I'm going to try again on Saturday. I just bought the new book and the DVD today. I can't wait to read/watch them. I have the original book "Bloody Christmas" and became fascinated after reading that book and have waited so long for new information. This forum is really very interesting and I appreciate all the time everyone has put into it.
Thanks again,
Lauri
02/15/07 at 03:42 PM
ecalhoun
As always, please be respectful when visiting the cemetery!!!
There have been problems in the past, so the folks who live around and on the board of the cemetery are a little nervous about visitors. If you choose to visit, prove 'em wrong, and treat the cemetery and the story with the respect it deserves.
Thanks!
Break of Dawn Productions
"Bringing Light to the Darkest Night"
ecalhoun