April 7, 1923 - July 9, 1945 |
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*A Flight Officer is an enlisted pilot. **War Correspondent Ernie Pyle was killed on Ie Shima on April 18, 1945. ***Lilly remarried to Lee Kirk Carr on March 31, 1951 at Bay City. |
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HEADQUARTERS ARMY AIR FORCES CENTRAL FLYING TRAINING COMMAND, RANDOLPH FIELD, TEX., May 27--Texas led all states of the nation in the number of her native sons who became Army Air Force pilots as the latest class of pilots was graduated at simultaneous graduation exercises at the eleven advanced flying schools of the Central Flying Training Command this week. There were 332 Texans in the consolidated class which included men from every American state, from Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, Cuba and Brazil. Fighter pilots were graduated from Eagle Pass, Aloe Field and Foster Field in Victoria, and Moore Field at Mission. Bomber pilots received their wings from Blackland Field in Waco, Ellington in Houston, Brooks in San Antonio, Lubbock and Pampa and from the two Oklahoma schools at Frederick and Altus. Among the new pilots are three men from the Bay City area. They include: Durward M. Stayton, Alfred Birkner, Joseph Lawhon. The Daily Tribune,
June, 1944 |
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The Daily Tribune,
November 1944 |
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Mrs. Joseph B. Lawhon was notified by the War Department Saturday that her husband, Flight Officer Joseph B. Lawhon, has officially been declared dead. F/0 Lawhon has been missing since July 9, 1945 when he failed to return from a mission over the Ruyukiu Islands. Mrs. Lawhon is the former Miss Lilly Richers. Matagorda County Tribune,
Tuesday, April 16, 1946 |
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Lawhon, Belle S., 72, died at Citizen's Hospital in Victoria on April 23. Services will be held at 3 p.m. Friday at the Episcopal Church in Matagorda. The Rev. James Scott will officiate. Burial will be in Matagorda Cemetery. Mrs. Lawhon is survived by her son, Gene Lawhon of Matagorda; one sister, Lillie Phillips of Freeport; two brothers, Guy Smith of Sargent and Lee Walker of Bay City; three grandchildren and one great grand child. Pallbearers will be Lee Carr, Dr. D. L. Chalmers, Joe Lawhon, Sam Cheek, Roy Traylor, Joe Smith, Jimbo Williams and Bobby B. Watkins. She has been a resident of Matagorda for many years and was born in Sargent. Taylor Brothers Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. The Daily Tribune,
April 24, 1969 |
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Mr. Cliff Lawhon, native of Matagorda passed away, Tuesday in Kerrville after a long illness and was buried this afternoon at 3:00 in Matagorda. Mr. Lawhon is survived by his wife, two sons of Matagorda and his mother in Houston. The Daily Tribune,
January 8, 1941 |
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Lilly Elise Richers Carr, 95, of Bay City departed this earthly life on January 21, 2020 and is continuing on her eternal journey with our Lord Jesus Christ and all of her family and friends who have predeceased her. A lifelong resident of Bay City, she was a leap year baby born February 29, 1924, to the late Louis William Richer Sr. and Julia Letzerich Richers. With her passing from this life, another member of the Greatest Generation is gone from our presence. After graduating from BCS in 1941, Lilly married Joe Lawhon who was a P-47 pilot in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Joe was lost on his first combat mission when his squadron attempted to fly through a hurricane. Unbeknown to Joe, Lilly was pregnant at the time with his son Joseph B. Lawhon. Joe never had the opportunity to know his father. A few years later, after the end of WWII, Lilly became reacquainted with an old high school classmate, Lee Carr, also a P-38 fighter pilot in WWII. They eventually married and had 3 more sons, raising a total of four sons over the succeeding years. Lilly was a stay at home mom until all of her sons were in school. She then joined the work force as the last Selective Service Officer for Matagorda County and then worked as the secretary for the First Presbyterian Church in Bay City until she retired. Lilly was active in church, and was involved in Catholic Daughters, the Altar Society and KJZT. She volunteered her time in the Pink Lady Auxiliary and was actively involved in the American Legion, the VFW and the Bay City Public Library. She embraced her Texas roots as a Daughter of the Republic of Texas. Lilly was an avid bridge player, belonging to as many as 3 bridge clubs at a time. She loved to play dominos, various card games and many other games with friends and family, but especially with her grandkids. Her love of all things sweet was well-known; she never met a dessert or candy she didn’t like. However, her cherished times were spent with her family, her children, and grandchildren. Her sweet smile and kindness will be missed by all who loved her. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Joseph B. Lawhon and Lee K. Carr, son, Sidney Louis Carr, brothers L.W. Richers Jr., Frank Richers and Otto Richers and sisters Elveria Cernosek, Genevieve Gaudet, Judy O’Roark and Nettie Brueggen Rogers. . Survivors include: sons, Joe Lawhon (Phyllis) of Lampasas, Kirk Carr (Julie) of Gonzales, Mike Carr (Eleene) of Georgetown; sister, Sybella Green of Bay City; brother, Sherwood Richers (Judy) of Albuquerque; and daughter-in-law Gloria Berger (Mark) of Corpus Christi. Grandchildren: Scott Lawhon, Matt Lawhon, Ryan Carr, Rebecca Park, Elizabeth Miller, Laura Carr-Bagheri, Hunter Carr, Philip Carr, Ashley Carr-Ordway, Souix Smith, and Joe Strack IV and 21 great-grandchildren. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m., Sunday, January 26, 2020, Taylor Bros. Funeral Home with a Rosary beginning at 6:00 p.m. Funeral Mass will be 2:00 p.m. Monday, January 27, 2020, at Holy Cross Catholic Church with Rev. Greg Korenek officiating. Interment will follow at Roselawn Memorial Park. Pallbearers: Scott and Matt Lawhon, Ryan Carr, Philp Carr, Hunter Carr, Cooper Bagheri, Bryan Park and Mike Miller. Donations can be made in Lilly’s honor to Holy Cross School. Taylor Bros. Funeral Home Photo courtesy of Faye Cunningham
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Copyright 2006 -
Present by Carol Sue Gibbs |
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Created Jan. 30, 2006 |
Updated October 27, 2019 |