Verna Lee Lawson

Today we honor the life of Verna Lee (Campbell) Lawson. She was a truly amazing woman who was the kindest, loving person. To do justice right by her in this short eulogy is impossible. She dedicated her life to family and making sure family was supported in whatever we did and never felt anything other than loved. She sacrificed more than we will ever know when she was putting everyone else before herself, she still made time to listen to all our problems and never interfered. Everyone who was fortunate to know her and the warmth and happiness she brought to us cannot be overstated. She will live in our hearts forever.

Verna Lee Campbell was born on a Monday, January 11 1926, 8:50 AM on a farm in Woods County, Oklahoma, recorded on her birth certificate as the township of Fritzlin, not far from Hardtner, Kansas. It was butchering day for the family. She was the 3rd child and youngest. The oldest was her brother Lloyd and then sister Audrey and parents Eustice and Dora (Knox) Campbell. She always wanted to be called Verna Lee and not just Verna. Her brother named her and she was not fond of just her first name. Verna Lee attended Hardtner schools all thru graduation from high school in 1944 at the top of her class. She was very smart and worked hard at everything she encountered. She worked 7 years after high school in the pharmacy, at Achenbach Memorial Hospital in Hardtner, Kansas. World War II was going on so all the boys were drafted off to fight in the war during her teen years. She grew up during the Great Depression and that is how she learned to be economical on everything due to shortages.

On August 1, 1948, she married Vane Lawson of Kiowa, Kansas and made their home in Kiowa and lived in the same home all her life. They were married 66 years and 5 months before he passed on his 95th birthday in 2015. To this marriage three children were born: Randy, Tony, and Sheri. VernaLee worked for Parkers Grocery Store for a few years before the family moved to Kingman, Kansas for a year around 1967 and then moved back to Kiowa. Upon returning to Kiowa to the family home, VernaLee was employed by the Bank of Kiowa as a bookkeeper and teller for 15 years, then worked another 5 years at Tucker manufacturing sewing purses and upholstery until she retired at age 62.

Over the years she had many hobbies and was a member of a swimming club in Alva, Oklahoma, and member of the women’s VFW auxiliary in Kiowa, Kansas. She was also a life member of the United Methodist Church and the Methodist women’s quilting group for many years and helped with many needs of the church and assisted hosting many dinners. The family spent many summers camping in Cuchara, Colorado where she loved to see the mountains! Verna Lee was a member of a bowling team for many years in Kiowa. She loved to sew and jitterbug dance with her husband Vane to Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, and Benny Goodman music. That was her favorite music—the big bands of the 1940’s. They had many years of going to dances together and went to Wichita many times to dance to their kind of music. She taught her husband Vane how to dance otherwise she was not going to date him if he could not dance. In their later years Vane and Verna Lee traveled around the nation to many World War II reunions and they enjoyed every minute of those trips.

Verna Lee’s favorite hobbies were sewing where she made most of her clothes and her children’s clothes, she loved to read a variety of books and checked out many for years at the local library and was excellent at playing the piano and organ learning only by ear and playing for family for many years. Her favorite TV show was The Waltons and stated she could connect with this show because it reminded her of that era of when she grew up.

Verna Lee very much loved her children and grandchildren and wanted to live as long as she could because she said many times she could not bear to leave her children. Her goal was to make it to the age of 100 years old and she succeeded doing just that.

In her last years of life it gave her so much joy to go to the Kiowa Public Library and check out books to read, participation with the Methodist church women’s group, and meeting friends for coffee at the Kiowa drug store. Her greatest gratitude was towards her nephew Bob Lamkin and spouse Donna who both spent every day helping her and caring for her needs before she had to enter long-term care.

She is preceded in death by her husband Vane, and granddaughter Nikki Lawson.

Surviving family members include son Randy Lawson and wife Tracy of Eldorado, Kansas; son Tony Lawson and wife Suzanne of Wichita, Kansas; and daughter Sheri Herren and husband Donnie of Blackwell Oklahoma. Grandchildren Jake Lawson of Wichita, Kansas, Jason Lawson of Wichita, Kansas, Daniel Baldwin of Boise, Idaho, John Baldwin of Norman, Oklahoma, David Baldwin of Katy, Texas, Julie (Baldwin) Sullivan of Edmond, Oklahoma, and Jack Day of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She has 7 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great granddaughter.

Services will be held Tuesday May 12, 2026 at the Kiowa United Methodist Church at 1:00 p.m. with burial to follow at Riverview Cemetery. Arrangements are by Lanman Funeral Home, Inc. of Kiowa, Kansas. www.lanmanfuneralhome.com Facebook: Lanman Funeral Home Inc.

Acknowledgements: Dr Wilhelm & Kiowa District Hospital and staff, Kiowa Meals on Wheels, Interim Healthcare of Pratt, Kansas. & Wellington, Kansas, Kiowa Senior Citizens, and Kiowa United Methodist Church and United Methodist Women Group.

Donations in lieu of flowers: United Methodist Church, Kiowa Public Library