Obit: Lawrence, Alton E. (1853 - 1936)

Contact: Audrey Roedl

Surnames: LAWRENCE GLENDINNING MILLER SHAMBAUG DICKINSON

----Sources: The Loyal Tribune 19 March 1936

Lawrence, Alton E. (8 JUL 1853 - MAR 1936)

Alton Ecnerwal Lawrence was born on July 8th, 1853, in Sheboygan County, the son of William and Charlotte Lawrence. His early life was spent at Plymouth and vicinity. He learned the art of telegraphy and served for many years in several stations in Eastern Wisconsin.

He was united in marriage to Miss Ella Glendinning on Sept. 5, 1878 and the young couple made their first home at St. Cloud where he was employed as telegraph operator. Mr. Lawrence was stationed at Hilbert Junction when the Wisconsin Central was being built and had to work relaying messages from Neenah-Menasha to Milwaukee, a special job necessitated by extensive operations of building a railroad in a new county where communications were limited to the telegraph, the telephone not being then developed. After serving for a long time as operator Mr. Lawrence left the railroad and operated a country store at York Center in Clark county. Later he was in the mercantile business at Loyal and then established a bank there which he opened for a number of years. He came to Wabeno in 1903. In 1907 he promoted the organization of the State Bank of Wabeno and served as its cashier and president for a number of years, then while taking an active part in business affairs of the community.

In his later years he retired from active conduct of the bank’s affairs and he and his wife spent considerable time traveling.

The reorganization of the bank following the financial difficulties which assailed all business when the depression was at its worst, called Mr. Lawrence into activity again. It was his ambition to place the bank on a sound footing again, and he labored continually with his colleagues with that in view. He was repaid by seeing the institution regain its former financial position to a large degree. He expressed his idea of the conduct of a bank to the writer on several occasions as one wherein the bank could make its legitimate earnings with absolute safety for the depositors.

Mr. Lawrence is survived by four of his five children. One son, Aurel F. died many years ago. Mrs. Lawrence passed away on Dec. 8th, 1934. The surviving children are, Mrs. Carl Miller, Amherst, S.D., Mrs. H. A. Shambaugh, Eau Gallie, Florida, Raymond Lawrence, Fort Madison, Iowa, and Mrs. Dent Dickinson, Gatun, Canal Zone. There are also several grandchildren.

The funeral was held at the home at three o’clock Thursday afternoon. Plans have been made to take the remains to Plymouth, Wis. on Friday, where the body will rest beside his wife.

Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Lawrence and son and Mrs. Carl Miller were here for the funeral.

The Wabeno Advertiser