[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20083]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING JO LAWSON, THE OLDEST LIVING FEMALE VETERAN OF MERCER 
                            COUNTY, ILLINOIS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CHERI BUSTOS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 15, 2017

  Mrs. BUSTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mrs. Jo Lawson, the 
oldest living female veteran of Mercer County, Illinois. Mrs. Lawson 
has lived a life of service to her community and her country.
  Mrs. Lawson grew up on a farm in Aledo. After graduating from Aledo 
High School, she attended the University of Iowa, where she majored in 
elementary education. In 1944, at twenty-three years old, Mrs. Lawson 
joined the United States Coast Guard. She attended basic training in 
West Palm Beach, Florida. Following basic training, Mrs. Lawson 
attended six months of radioman training in Atlantic City, New Jersey. 
After radioman training, she was stationed in San Pedro, California. 
Her primary duty there was to receive messages over teletype, which 
often included receiving coordinates for ships and fallen aircraft. In 
1946, Mrs. Lawson was discharged with a rank of 3rd Class Radioman.
  In 1950, she married Colonel Dave Lawson. They were classmates in 
high school and stayed in contact throughout the years following their 
graduation They were later reunited in California. Colonel and Mrs. 
Lawson were married sixty-three years, until Colonel Lawson passed away 
in September of 2015. They had five children together, losing one to 
prematurity, and were also blessed with four grandchildren.
  In Mercer County, Mrs. Lawson taught one year at Perryton and taught 
seventh grade social studies at Northside Junior High. Along with 
serving her community through teaching, Mrs. Lawson was involved with 
and cofounded many local organizations, including the 708 Mental Health 
Board and Mercer County Recycling. Additionally, she was a planning 
board representative at her church, where she helped start the Churches 
of Mercer County Food Pantry.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to again honor Jo Lawson for her 
extraordinary service to both her country and her community.

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