Lillian Lawson

Lillian G. (Maddy) Lawson was born on August 8, 1918, in Rooks County, KS, to Lester and Lydia (Borin) Maddy. She passed away September 7, 2014 at the Rawlins County Hospital in Atwood, KS.

Lillian attended Stockton, KS schools and graduated in 1936. She attended one semester at Kansas State University. Illness forced her to drop out in the spring semester of 1937. She then transferred to Fort Hays State University and received a 3 year State Certificate and taught one year at Webster, KS. Lillian then attended Cosmetology School in Topeka and worked in Concordia, KS, as a cosmetologist. While working there she met and married E.E. ‘Todd’ Lawson. Lillian and Todd raised two daughters, Susan Mary and Patricia Ruth.

In October, 1949, the family moved to Atwood, where they owned and operated a Western Auto Store. Lillian began teaching third grade in the fall of 1955. She attended McCook Junior College and Fort Hays State during the summers to complete her Bachelor of Science in Education degree in 1961.

Lillian taught third grade for 28 years. She always said, “I never had a bad student or a bad parent.” She retired from teaching in May, 1983. For the next several years, she substituted in the Atwood Schools and continued to fulfill her passion for encouraging young people.

Lillian was an active member of the First Christian Church. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, an educator’s sorority. She was a member of the Order of Eastern Star for 77 years and received her 75 year pin in 2012.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Todd; parents Lester and Lydia Maddy; son-in-law, Duane Nichols; sister and brother-in-law Naomi and Jack Green and brother-in-law Don Riggs.

She is survived by her daughters, Susan Nichols of Lincoln, NE and Pat (Del) Wiedeman of Wakeeney, KS; grandchildren, Douglas Nichols, Tim (Jody) Nichols, Heather (Marty) Nelson, Delbert Wiedeman, Jr and Crystol J. Wiedeman; great-grandchildren, Megan Nichols, Haiden and Madeline Nelson, Trevor and Jaycey Nichols, Chantel and Crystal S. Wiedeman and Micah Wiedeman; sisters, Loree Riggs and Joan (Robert) Balderston and numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be 5-7:00 p.m. Thursday, September 11, 2014 at Baalmann Mortuary, Atwood. Funeral Service will be at 10:00 a.m. Friday, September 12, 2014 at the First Christian Church, Atwood. Burial will follow at 3:00 p.m. in the Stockton Cemetery, Stockton, KS. Memorials are suggested to the Lillian G. Lawson Memorial Fund (an endowment fund for Atwood elementary youth) in care of the Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation, PO Box 593, Bird City, KS 67731 or the First Christian Church in care of Baalmann Mortuary, 109 N 2nd, Atwood, KS 67730. Online condolences: www.baalmannmortuary.com