[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21523]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              IN MEMORY OF MRS. AUDREY ANN HOFFMAN LAWSON

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. AL GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 17, 2015

  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to honor the memory 
of a civil rights activist and spiritual exemplar of the Houston 
community: Mrs. Audrey Ann Hoffman Lawson. With remarkable commitment, 
Mrs. Lawson dedicated her life to helping others, especially the young 
and the neediest.
  Mrs. Lawson was born in St. Louis, Missouri on March 20, 1932. Mrs. 
Lawson met her husband, Reverend Bill Lawson, in St. Louis after they 
exchanged over 600 letters, wherein she affectionately became known as 
``Little Red.'' Married 61 years, Reverend and Mrs. Lawson reared one 
son and three daughters. They also founded the historic Wheeler Avenue 
Baptist Church as well as initiated and supported numerous programs to 
help the young and disadvantaged. Mrs. Lawson served her community well 
as she promoted the power of faith and prayer. She will most assuredly 
be remembered for her leadership at the historic Wheeler Avenue Baptist 
Church, helping to establish two charter schools, her support for the 
Ensemble Theater, and her immeasurable love for children.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Lawson will be missed dearly by a host of 
family and friends. The family includes her husband, four children 
(Melanie, Cheryl, Eric, and Roxanne) as well as her grandchildren. Mrs. 
Lawson will be celebrated and memorialized in the Houston community as 
a faithful Christian lady, wife, mother, and community leader.

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