John Lawson

John P. Lawson, 85, of Bozeman passed away on Monday, August 31, 2009. John was born on June 5, 1924 in Fishtail, Montana to John Earl and Margaret Myrtle Lawson on his family#8217;s homestead. The family moved to Billings, Montana and he attended Fratt Memorial School, and then graduated from Billings Senior High School in 1942. He entered the Army Air Corps in 1943 and was involved in the Port Moresby, Biak, and Leyte Gulf campaigns. He was honorably discharged in 1945, at which point he returned to Billings. He met and married Joyce Merrill Hendrickson on October 2, 1948. To this union were born three children, Jay, Jill and Jan. John was employed by Montana Bell as a lineman. The family later moved to Bozeman, where John worked for the US Postal Service as a letter carrier until his retirement. He loved golfing at Valley View, bowling, horseback riding, flyfishing, hunting, and attending Bobcat basketball games. He was a member of B.P.O.E. Survivors include his son, Jay (Belva) Lawson of Bozeman; daughter, Jill (Dave) Stevens of Belgrade; grandchildren, John (Melissa) Lawson, Wayne (Heather) Lawson, Kristin (Ryan) Cleveland, Cary (Donna) Stevens, Shane Lawson, and Shannon Lawson; and seven great-grandchildren. John was preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Myrtle; his wife, Joyce; daughter, Jan; and his sister, Deloris Lawson. A Visitation will be held from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Friday, September 4, 2009 at Dahl Funeral Chapel. A Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, September 5 at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, followed by a graveside service at Sunset Hills Cemetery. There will be a reception held at the Elk#8217;s Club following interment. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Veterans#8217; charity of one#8217;s choice.