BETTY GEORGE LAWSON CLARK

The following bio was taken from page 149 of the book entitled "Rusk County History" compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Shirley Koym

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Rusk County TX Coordinator

I was born in Rusk County at Arlam, Texas, August 29, 1935, to Annie Belle Mayfield Lawson and John Mitchell Lawson. My grandmother and step-grandfather were the Dr. George H. Turner and Betty Elizabeth Young Lawson Turners. I was named after them. I looked yellow when I was born, so my grandparents took me home with them to live and I was said to have had a waistline when I was born. Mom Betty said I was the only baby she ever saw with a waistline. She thought I was the greatest thing since Roosevelt. She taught me to spell at an early age, and I went to school at five at the Methodist Church. Took dancing lessons, and was generally the town Garrison pest as we lived on the town square next door to the doctor’s office, across the street from Dale’s Drug Store. When Mom Betty was busy and put me down for a nap, sometimes I stepped out and went from store to store mooching. They all thought I was so cute and fed me lots of junk, and when I had a birthday party, I invited only the grownups.

I went to school in Garrison for all of the school I had except for about four months in Arlam first grade and one and one-half years in the fifth and sixth grades in Houston, during which time I lived with my mother and daddy. The rest of the time I lived with Mom Betty. I was one of the first to sign up for the first Garrison Band, and the first thing I played was the cymbals, then the bass drum, and then I got my first snare drum. Later, lo and behold, I became a twirler and then Drum Major. In January 1952, I met my life-long mate to be. In March 1953, Mom Betty died. I went to beauty school in Houston and got my license in 1954.

In June 1955, I married Joe M. Clark, Jr. I had had part-time custody of my nephew off and on since he was two years old. My husband and I kept him with us from 1955 until we adopted him in November 1956. Michael Henry Clark was born July 25, 1951. He was a beautiful little blond haired, blue-eyed boy and a very smart little fellow. I became very active being a P. T. A. room mother. In 1957 we had our first-born, Kenneth Russell Clark, May 19, 1957, weighing nine pounds, six ounces. I couldn’t believe it was a boy; I had planned on a girl. More activity with church and school followed. Two years later another son, Joe Mark Clark was born June 3, 1959, weighing ten pounds and four ounces. In two more years another son, John Phillip Clark, weighing ten pounds and three-fourths ounces. I had four boys and I figured we had better stop or the next baby might be an elephant.

I was active in Shepherd Drive Methodist Church and was made a life member. I was Den Mother for all four boys in Scouts and sometimes room mother for all four all the same year. I was P. T. A. President three different times at George Washington Junior High and elected president at W. D. Cleveland Elementary, where my mother-in-law before me had also served as president. I was president of Parents Club Reagan R.O.T.C. for four years where two of our sons were active Rats, the youngest being Battalion Commander.

Our oldest son, Michael, a computer expert at Powell Industries, married Sharon Jantz August 27, 1981. They bought a home in Friendswood. Our middle son, Joe, is a Houston Firefighter and plans to marry Lisa Falls in May 1982. He bought a home this year, 1981.

Kenneth and John are still living at home. Ken drives a delivery truck for P. C. M. and John is Manager for Walgreens.

Joe and I are active in genealogy, also in Sons and Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Sons and Daughters of the Confederacy, Daughters of the American Revolution, and Sons of the War of 1812.

Submitted by Betty Clark