The Legacy Story of John Lawson (March 31, 1913 – May 9, 1968)
By Susan Farrelly
A humble World War II Veteran, John Lawson had striking blue eyes and a warm smile. He trained military dogs to deliver messages during the war effort and served on Navy ships, delivering supplies from the East Coast of Canada to Europe. John was very fond of the outdoors and nature, often foraging for mushrooms and puff balls. His love of family shone through his life, and he was a wonderful neighbour and friend to many.
Early Life and Family
John Lawson was born on March 31, 1913, in Guelph, Ontario to James Richard Lawson and Mary Rankin Ross Lawson. These were a busy few years for James and Mary, as they came to Guelph from East Ayrshire, Scotland just a year prior in 1912. John was the firstborn child in 1913, followed by his sisters Catherine in 1914 and Mary in 1915. James worked at Taylor-Forbes Cast Iron after coming to Guelph.
John grew up on Stull Avenue in Guelph, and his love for animals and birds started early as a young boy, as he raised pigeons in the backyard. He left school as a young teenager, since as the eldest child with two younger sisters, he needed to start working. His sisters said that John was very smart and should have been given the chance to continue his education, but his mother decided that he needed to work alongside men in the factory and bring his wages home to help support the family.
During these years, John was a knitter and textile manufacturer, working at Rennie Manufacturing on Woolwich Street in Guelph. It was during this time that he met Ellen Pearson, who lived on Paisley Road in Guelph and played on the same basketball team at the YWCA as his youngest sister Mary. John eventually purchased a car, left Rennie’s, and moved to Hamilton to continue working as a knitter. John and Ellen stayed in touch, exchanging many letters back and forth. In 1939, they married at St. George’s Anglican Church in Guelph, with Ellen wearing a knee length dress and hat, and John wearing a suit. The couple settled in Hamilton to start their family.
Wartime Service
Patricia, their oldest daughter, was born in 1940 and Joyce was born in 1943. It was during this year that John was deployed to work on the naval ships from Halifax, Nova Scotia and St. John’s, Newfoundland. The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) played a vital role in delivering supplies to Europe during World War II by protecting merchant convoys in the Battle of the Atlantic. Canadian ships, along with the merchant navy, escorted countless vessels carrying millions of tonnes of supplies, equipment, and troops across the Atlantic to support the Allied war effort. The RCN’s efforts were crucial to the Allied victory, as the continuous flow of supplies was essential for the war in Europe.
When John was deployed, Ellen decided to move back to Guelph with her two young daughters to live on Paisley Road with Ellen’s parents. It was a difficult time for the Pearson family, as both of Ellen’s brothers, George and Arthur, were serving in the Armed Forces during this time. Ellen and John continued their love story through letter-writing once again. In one letter, they discussed a name for their third daughter Carole, as Ellen was expecting when John was deployed. Ellen liked the name Carol, but John insisted it be Carole with an E, not like Christmas Carol. Carole (with an E) was born July 26, 1944.
During John’s time serving, he was also responsible for training dogs, as the Canadian Armed Forces used dogs to carry messages between units when it was not safe to use radio communication. John’s love of animals and experience training pigeons certainly helped him succeed in this task. Dogs, in particular, played a very important part in the Canadian war effort, serving in many capacities, such as messengers, mascots, transporters, and morale lifters. There is a Canadian War Animal Memorial that can be viewed at Ottawa’s Confederation Boulevard, and it includes a section honouring the important role of dogs.
World War II ended on September 2, 1945, and John was demobilized six months later on February 28, 1946, at which time he returned home to Guelph. The Lawson family continued to grow, and daughter Judy was born on her father’s 40th birthday on March 31, 1953. This rounded out the Lawson family with four daughters.
Post-War Life and Family
In the years that followed, John seldom talked about the war. He was quiet, reserved, and spoke with few words, but when he spoke, others listened. Family, nature, animals, and birds, brought the most joy to John during his life. He was very creative and liked to work on projects and solving problems. John was very fond of the outdoors and nature. He foraged for mushrooms and puffballs, and he knew which plants were edible. He fished and hunted, and had many dogs throughout his life, some as pets and others for hunting. He would tackle anything, taking watches and appliances apart to fix them, and sitting for hours at the dining room table working on something. Furthermore, he was a great community member and helped out many neighbours regularly. When he built the addition on 280 Paisley Street, so many people showed up to help with framing, roofing and bricking.
From the time he was in the war, due to the long days on the ships as they crossed the Atlantic, he developed stomach stress ulcers as many of the sailors did. He suffered from these for years after the war, and because of this, he likely delayed any diagnosis of cancer until it was very advanced. John returned to work at the Guelph Correctional Reformatory after his surgery for cancer to try to work long enough to get a pension for his wife, Ellen and his youngest daughter, Judy, who was only 15 at the time of his death.
John passed away at 55 years of age in the early morning on Thursday, May 9, 1968. This seemed in keeping with his personality to pass in the quiet hours when he was alone in solitude and peace. Even at home, he would often just come into a room quietly and sit, and you would be surprised he was there or that he had left. He was on the third floor of the Guelph General Hospital when he passed.
When John died, Pat and Carole were already married. Pat, Joyce and Carole were all working as public school teachers in Guelph, and Judy was in Grade 10 at GCVI. Ellen was offered a job and went to work full-time at the switchboard of Guelph City Hall, being the first person callers would talk to, answering questions and directing calls. She retired at the age of 65. Ellen survived 25 years after John, and prior to her passing in 1993, she was able to know and love the nine grandchildren that John was never able to meet. The family has since continued to grow, with their legacy now including 13 great-grandchildren.
John and Ellen are resting together at Woodlawn Memorial. Block M2, Section 10, Lot 2, Grave 1. Daughters Judy and Pat, and son-in-law Jim, will join them in rest someday as well. Both John and Ellen’s parents are also resting at Woodlawn Memorial.
We thank veteran John Lawson for his loyal and courageous service to Canada during WWII.
Sources:
Animals in War Dedication | Veterans Affairs Canada
PAWS OF VALOUR – Paw Quarterly
