C E Skeeter Lawrence

Charles Eldon Lawrence, better known to his many friends as Skeeter, was born May 9, 1927 to Paul and Mary (Nicholas) Lawrence on the family farm four miles northwest of Lake Park, Iowa. He graduated from Lake Park High School in 1944. In 1946, he married the love of his life, Marcella (Sally) Lenz. Skeeter made his living as a farmer, raising everything from cows and pigs, to corn and beans. As the demand for eggs grew in America, Skeeter and Sally focused their efforts on a poultry operation that grew to 61,000 laying hens. In 1997, the family farm was acknowledged as a Century Farm by the State of Iowa - signifying the farm had been in the same family for 100 years. Skeeter was not content to limit himself to farming alone. He could do plumbing and wiring, which served him well during mission trips to Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina. He was a real "Mr. Fix-It." He could fix anything, and he willingly volunteered to share those skills wherever they were needed - whether it be at Thee Garage Sale in Milford, at the Presbyterian Church Camp at Okoboji or in the homes of family and friends. In his 50's, Skeeter began a new adventure and satisfied a dream he'd always had - he learned to fly a plane. And that wasn't all. He went on to earn his multi-engine instrument rating. He used those skills to do charter flying and take aerial photos for the United States Department of Agriculture, as well as take family members and friends on free flights. Skeeter was very involved in his community and around the country. He was a member of the Eastern Star and the Masonic Lodge. He served on the National Poultry Committee, was president of the Iowa Farm Bureau and was a founding member of the local MUGS computer club. But, serving God through his church was where Skeeter got some of his greatest fulfillment. He has been a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Park since 1938. He has been a member there longer than anyone and he's been an active member. Over the years, Skeeter sang in the choir, taught Sunday School, served as chairman of the church building committee, was ordained an elder in 1952, served as a lay preacher throughout Iowa, was moderator of the Iowa Presbytery, was a member of the Synod Council and spent many hours working with the Dakota Sioux to help mediate church issues on the reservations in South Dakota. In all he did, he showed others God in action. Skeeter was a lifelong learner and when computers came along, he was quick to embrace this new technology. He had a Facebook account and wasn't afraid to use it to share a joke or a funny story with his friends and family. His sense of humor served him well and was a joy to everyone who knew him. He could find humor in most any situation. Skeeter passed away July 9, 2013 at Lakes Regional Healthcare in Spirit Lake, Iowa at eighty-six years of age. Skeeter was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Robert Lawrence and Leonard William Lawrence, his sister Phyllis McClain and his son-in-law, Mike Taylor. He is survived by his wife - and the girl he used to stare at in study hall - Sally Lawrence; daughters Marla Taylor of Broken Arrow, OK. and Marcia (Nathan) Lawrence of Fairbanks, AK.; grandchildren Samuel Slagle of Sioux City, IA., Stephen (Charissa) Taylor of Broken Arrow, OK., Camilla (Brian) Ringler of Anchorage, AK. and Jill (Judah) Anthony of Woodside, NY.; great-granddaughters Alexis and Avery Taylor; several nieces, nephews, and cousins and a host of wonderful friends.