Nansemond County-Portsmouth City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Lawrence, Henry B., 1951 

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HENRY BEALE LAWRENCE, PORTSMOUTH INSURANCE MAN, 
   DIES OF SUFFOCATION FROM MATTRESS FIRE SMOKE 

  Portsmouth Bureau 

  Henry Beale Lawrence, 54, Portsmouth insurance salesman, was pronounced dead 
on arrival at King's Daughters' Hospital yesterday after being taken from a 
flaming bed at his residence at 806 Washington Street.  Cause of death was 
given as suffocation. 

  Firemen, called to the residence at 5:50 a.m., found all of the six bedrooms 
on the second and third floors of the three-story, two-family building, filled 
with smoke. 

  Groping their way to Lawrence's room, they broke in and found him on the 
bed.  The mattress was afire, but the flames had not reached any other part of 
the room.  Firemen managed to keep the fire confined to the bed, but reported 
that other parts of the house suffered smoke and water damage. 

  Lawrence according to reports, had retired at about 4 a.m.  His wife, Mrs. 
Marion Cain Lawrence, who slept in an adjoining room, discovered the fire. 
She was awakened by the smell of smoke and gave the alarm. 

  Several other occupants of the house fled to an upstairs porch when the 
flames were discovered. 

  A native of Nansemond County, Lawrence had lived in this area 10 years. 

  Besides his wife, he is survived by a son, Henry B. Lawrence, Jr., of 
Portsmouth; a daughter, Mrs. H.W. Sellers, of Pass Christian, Miss.; two 
sisters, Mrs. Helen Lawrence of Franklin, and Mrs. D.F. Brown, of Richmond, 
and a grandchild. 

  The body was removed to Snellings Funeral Home where funeral services will 
be conducted Monday at 3:30 p.m.  Burial will be in Olive Branch Cemetery. 


Henry Beale LAWRENCE, insurance salesman, 
b. 16 Dec 1896*, Holland, Nansemond Co., d. 5 May 1951, at home, Portsmouth, 
interred in Olive Branch Cemetery*, Portsmouth, 7 May 1951, 
"Virginian-Pilot" (Norfolk, VA), Sun., May 6, 1951 

*Additional information: 

Portsmouth Public Library, Olive Branch list: 
   https://www.portsmouthpubliclibrary.org/DocumentCenter/View/156/I---L-PDF 

A photo of his gravestone - added by Steve Poole - is posted with 
   Find a Grave Memorial #30694222; it shows b. 16 Dec 1897. 

D.Cert. 10493 (Portsmouth #263) 

His parents, Jonas Elisha & Nannie Irene (BEALE) LAWRENCE, and maternal 
   grandparents, Carr & Selina Catherine (BEALE) BEALE are buried in 
   Poplar Spring Cemetery, Franklin - Section 1, Plot 85A. 

His widow (1900 - 1989) & their son Henry Jr. (1921 - 1998) are buried in 
   adjacent Plot 85B.  Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} 
   Cemetery Project, Poplar Spring list: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/poplar1.txt 

His widow 2m. widower James Capeheart BUTTERTON in 1957.  He is buried with 
   his first wife in Poplar Spring Cemetery, Franklin - Annex 2, Plot 144. 

Henry's paternal grandparents, Capt. Jonas W. & "Jennie" Virginia Anna 
   (LEE) LAWRENCE, are buried in Annex 2, Plot 152: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/psanx2.txt 

Henry's father's obits ("Tidewater News," Nov. 13 & 20, 1942) are posted at: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/l652j1ob.txt 

Henry's mother's obit ("Tidewater News," July 5, 1956, Sect. 1, p. 8) 
   is posted at: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/l652i1ob.txt 


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
William J. DelMonte (jazzzybill@yahoo.com) 
& Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), 
and re-formatted by File Manager Matt Harris. 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/obits/l652h1ob.txt