Laura Alford & John Lawver

  Laura Myrtle Alford (8/11 1887 – 29/6 1943)
  D2a branch [1.2.11.8.1.6.1]
  Daughter of Axel Alford & Anna Newby
  Jasper, Missouri

  John Lawver (13/9 1878 – 10/1 1941) (m. 7/8 1905)
icon-home  Son of George Lawver & Lettie Wilcoxen
  Illinois
  Railroad section man; blacksmith at lead & zinc mine
  At least 7 children

  Primary sources + living sources
  01-06-2020

Laura grows up at Alford Farmsicon-map-marker in Lawton, Kansas.

Alford farms at Lawton. Source: Google.

She eventually marries dark-haired and brown-eyed John Lawver in 1905. He was born in Illinois, but his parents had moved to Lawton when he was an infant. For some reason they marry at Fort Scott, which is where her uncle Alfred Alford lived. Perhaps they also settled there for a time.

Laura Alford & John Lawver’s marriage certificate 1905. Source: Familysearch.org.

By 1910, however, the couple live at Smithfieldicon-map-marker, where John works as a blacksmith at one of the lead and zinc mines which caused railroads to be built and Carl Junction to be founded at their intersection. Later, the railroads themselves provide a job opportunity for John. In 1918 he thus gives his employer as W.W. R.C., presumably a railroad company, because by then he is employed as a railroad section man at Carl Junction.

The old train station at Carl Junction. The name Carl Junction refers to the intersection of two planned railroads built to accommodate the lead mining industry. Both are long gone. Source: Carljunction.org.

The couple have 7 children.

• 1.   Norman Curtis Lawver (30/12 1906 – 15/10 1979)
  •  icon-user 1. Juanita icon-play
  •  icon-user 2. Leona Shafer Battin
• 2.   Letta ”Lettie” Lucille Lawver (26/10 1908 – 1/3 2002)
  •  icon-user Ollie Brown
• 3.   Kenneth Ivan Lawver (15/3 1913 – 21/6 1970)
  •  Edna Jane Hall
• 4.   George Edward Lawver (22/1 1916 – 20/4 1989)
  •  icon-user Helen F.
• 5.   Ralph Leroy Lawver (16/12 1918 – Mar. 1972)
• 6.   John Ross Lawver (1/6 1925 – 9/1 1993)
• 7.   Wayne Lawver (12/11 1927 – 31/8 1996)
  •  1. Glenna Ferris
  •  2. Doris Irene Long

They eventually settle in Wacoicon-map-marker . The four youngest sons stay at Smithfield for the rest of their lives. John dies in 1941, and Laura dies at Smithfield in 1943. They are buried together at Waco Cemetery.

The couple’s grave at Waco. Source: Findagrave.com.

Map of the area. Source: Google.

∇

Research data

•  name (others’ spellings): Laura Alford (1900-1948); Laura M. Alford (1905); Laura Lawver (1910-1943); Mrs Laura Myrtle Lawver (1918)
•  signatures: John Lawver (1918)
•  name (others’ spellings): John Lawver (1880-1918)
•  m. Bourbon 1905
•  cens. 1900-1910 Lawton: 1900; 1910
•  cens. 1880;1910 Lawton: 1880
•  milit. WWI reg.: 1918