Southampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Lawless, Dr. J. Leland, 1928 

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DR. JOHN LEE LAWLESS

DR. J.L. LAWLESS DIED HERE THURSDAY NIGHT

   Dr. John Lee Lawless died last evening about 8 o’clock at the home of his 
daughter, Mrs. Claude J. Edwards, in Clay Street.  He would have celebrated 
his 80th birthday tomorrow, and had been in declining health for many months. 
Surviving him are six children: Mrs. Claude J. Edwards and Mrs. W.H. Arthur of 
this town, Mrs. J.H. Norfleet of Newberry, Fla., Mrs. D. Hill Stevens and J.L. 
Lawless, Jr. of Richmond and Mrs. Mason Smith of Fredericksburg.  He also 
leaves two sisters, Mrs. Sallie Hawkins and Mrs. Annie Chapman of Botetourt, 
Va.  Funeral services and interment will be held in the family plot in Poplar 
Spring Cemetery Saturday morning at 11:30 o’clock.

   Doctor Lawless was a native of Bedford County, Va., and was educated at 
Richmond College, the divinity school of Furman University, Greenville, S.C., 
and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky.  He had held 
pastorates in Bowling Green, Va., Marion, Ala., St. Joseph, Missouri, 
Franklin, Ashland and Holland, Va.  He was Pastor of the Franklin Baptist 
Church from 1899 to 1906, and was greatly loved and esteemed by all of our 
people.  His last pastorate was in Holland and when he retired from the 
ministry several years ago, he came to this town and made his home with Mr. 
and Mrs. Claude J. Edwards.  Mrs. Lawless died her in February, 1923.  He was 
a member of the Masonic Lodge and of the Shrine, and was one of the most 
consecrated and godly men who ever walked among us.

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   Funeral services for Dr. J.L. Lawless, whose death occurred on November 1, 
were conducted at Poplar Spring Cemetery, Saturday morning of last week in the 
presence of a large company of sorrowing friends.  The service was in charge 
of Rev. E. Norfleet Gardner of Thomasville, N.C., who made a tenderly 
beautiful talk on the life of Doctor Lawless, followed with a brief 
appreciation by Rev. R.D. Stephenson, pastor of the Franklin Baptist Church. 
A quartette sang one of his favorite hymns, one of the stately paeans of the 
Christian’s faith, "Jesus, Lover of My Soul."  The body bearers were: Dr. W.H. 
Arthur, Claude J. Edwards, D. Hill Stevens, Dr. C. Mason Smith, Gordon 
Edwards, Luther Rice Edwards, John Lawless Norfleet and Franklin Edwards.

   Out-of-town friends and relatives here for the funeral included; Mr. and 
Mrs. D. Hill Stevens of Richmond, Dr. and Mrs. C. Mason Smith of 
Fredericksburg, a sister of Dr. Lawless, Mrs. James Chapman of Botetourt, 
accompanied by a son-in-law and granddaughter, Gordon Edwards of Washington 
and Luther Rice Edwards of V.P.I., besides a large number of friends from 
Holland where Dr. Lawless formerly held a pastorate.

   A brief sketch of the life and work of Dr. Lawless appeared in our last 
issue, but it should be said in addition that no man ever lived in our town 
who made a finer or more lasting impression upon it.  In the minds and hearts 
of all our people, Dr. Lawless represented one who was more closely in tune 
with the Infinite, walking on heights it is given few mortals to attain. 
Living a life of singular purity and consecration, his very walk and manner 
radiated "rapt Isaiah’s prophetic fire," and what someone might have termed 
mysticism would more properly be understood as a clearer conception of the 
love of God grounded in perfect faith.


Dr. John Leland "Lee" LAWLESS, Pastor of Franklin Baptist Church 1899-1906, 
b. 3 Nov 1848, Bedford Co., d. 1 Nov 1928, at daughter's home, Franklin, 
interred in Poplar Spring Cemetery (Section 2, Plot 87A*), Franklin, 
   3 Nov 1928, 
"The Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), Nov. 2, 1928, p. 1; 
"The Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), Nov. 9, 1928, p. 1 

*Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project, 
    Poplar Spring list: 
 http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/poplar2.txt 

His wife's obits ("Tidewater News," Feb. 2, 1923, p. 1 & Feb. 9, 1923, p. 1) 
   are posted at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/l420e1ob.txt


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), 
and re-formatted by File Manager. 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/l420l1ob.txt