James Waymon Lawrence -- One of Trigg County's Oldest Citizens

 

James W “Jim” Lawrence lived to the age of 107 and was one of the oldest citizens of Trigg County Kentucky.  He was born on July 27, 1882 and died on September 21, 1989.  He was the son of the late John Labon Lawrence and Martha Frances Bridges Lawrence. He was a retired farmer at the time of his death.

Lawrence’ lengthy life-span had defied "modern science, or even common sense," because of several factors which would seem to have predicted a much shorter life. Lawrence had smoked and chewed tobacco since he was 6 or 7 and, for other reasons, was told by doctors that he would never see his 21st birthday. Also, his father died when he was very young. However, another doctor later told him that if he had been smoking for that long, he might as well keep it up. During the later years of his life he had heart trouble, an ailment that kept him in the hospital often, a place he didn’t like to stay for very long periods at a time. One time he had double pneumonia, and the doctors knowing his aversion to hospitals, allowed him to stay at home.

Lawrence also attributed his longevity to hard work. He said that his doctor, the late John Futrell told him that hard work was what had kept him here so long. He worked for other people until 1907, when he got married at the age of 25, and then he began sharecropping. “There’s a big change in the way they work now and the way I worked. We had nothing but old mules to work with,” says Lawrence, adding, “You worked hard and didn’t get nothing for your work.” He said he would work from sunup to sundown for 75 cents a day, “And you didn’t have time to play”

Jim Lawrence lived during the administrations of half of this country’s 40 presidents, beginning with Chester Arthur. On his 100th birthday, he received a congratulatory letter from another president, Ronald Reagan

Lawrence was known for his outstanding whittling abilities. He spent hours carving wooden canes or "walking sticks" as most would call them. Even in his 100-plus years he could still "crack" the hand-made whips that were also a product of his craftsmanship

One aspect of his long life made Lawrence particularly proud. He had never been arrested, never been in jail and never had to pay a fine.

Jim married his wife, Adelia “Delia” Hite on December 14, 1908. They had three children, a daughter, Irene, who married Obie Banion Barnett and two sons, Robert Lee, who married Icie Drew Sholar and Prentice Edward who married Annie Louise Wilson.  Adelia died on February 17, 1969, twenty years before Jim’s death.  She and Jim were buried in the Robertson Hite Cemetery in Trigg County Kentucky.

 

 

 

LINEAGE:

(James Waymon Lawrence was the son of John Labon and Martha Frances Bridges Lawrence and the grandson of Starkie Thomas and Pruda Minerva Hixon Bridges.  Starkie was the second child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges.  William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges. Mary Thomas was the fifth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)