Many people ask me where the name “Lawson” came from - Is it my first name? My last name? The question becomes more direct when it is coming from people who know me and know the answer to the first and last name questions is no. The name Lawson is not mine but is from my family.
The above picture consists of 4 very important men in my life - 3 brothers and their father. From left to right they are my Dad, my Uncle Jimmy, my Grandfather, and my Uncle Owen. All four men have passed on but they continue to influence me every day.
Since 2013 I have been researching the history and roots of my family (both my Mom’s and my Dad’s). I love learning where we came from and moments of our past that have defined us today. My grandfather, Floyd, immigrated to the US from Nova Scotia in 1925 at the age of 18. He lived with his niece while he began to create a life for himself in his new country. Floyd eventually married a wonderful woman named Anna and over the years they had five sons (two who sadly died as babies).
My grandfather knew how to do it all. He was an electrician, a plumber, a mechanic, and one hell of a carpenter. He was a penny-pincher too so his learned skills could have also come from the desire to do things himself rather than pay someone (something I know all too well). But he was one of the finest in all these skills and people from all over called him when they needed something done and wanted it done right. My grandfather had a strong work ethic. He didn’t take charity. He believed in working hard every day and providing for his family.
Floyd passed on this work ethic to his sons. They worked extremely hard doing whatever it took to make sure their families had what they needed. My father worked two full-time jobs the majority of my childhood so that his six kids could have a decent education and take part in many after school activities. My Dad also inherited my grandfather’s technical skills. If anyone needed their car fixed, a light fixture changed, a new toilet installed, or a new addition/room built, they called my Dad. And my Dad would be there no matter what, regardless how tired he was from his two jobs, because that’s what people did for each other - my grandfather also passed that trait on to his sons.
People are what matter in life. And family is the most important thing. Whether that family is blood or extended (and my extended family is huge) nothing else takes priority. My family today definitely lives and breathes that belief. And the skills I have today with woodworking comes directly from my Dad and my grandfather. The picture above hangs in my workshop so I can see these 4 men daily and be reminded where I came from and where I am headed. And I every day I thank the man who took a chance at a new life and taught his family how to work hard to make it happen - Floyd Lawson Caldwell.