Mr. Lawton was a member of the First Baptist Church where at various times he taught Sunday school and served on various boards. He was a former member of the Odd Fellows and the Olean Historical Society. Years back he was a former scout leader and for a short period of time was a Pennsylvania trooper.

He enjoyed playing pool, poker, inventing, reading, fixing up, renting, and selling real estate. He made and patented a teeter-totter that would go up and down as well as around in a circle. He liked writing and wrote the book Mother and Her Nineteen Children Volumes I and II, a memoir of his childhood. He especially enjoyed writing letters to the editor of the Olean Times Herald to express his opinions on the current topics.

Surviving are four daughters, Patricia Ann Jensen of Texas City, TX, Donna Yvonne Lawton of Cuba, Phyllis Annette (Karl) Hodge of Cuba, and Deborah Jean (Charles) Fife of Phoenix, Arizona; 15 grandchildren, 28 great grandchildren, and six great great grandchildren; a brother, Lyle (Lena) Lawton of Tenessee; two sisters, Thressa Burrell of Genesee, PA, and Agnes (Clarence) Long of Alabama; a half sister, Beatrice (Arnold) Ruhli of Seattle, Washington; and many nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents and wife he was predeceased by a daughter Marlyn Janet Neff in January of 1991, a stillborn daughter Sandra K. Lawton on August 23, 1942, a grandson Russell Lawton Jensen, 7 brothers Melvin, Harold, Zael, Howard, Daniel, Ernest, and Norman, and 3 sisters Grace Corwin, Letha Fuller, Nethelia Osgood, and a step sister Marjorie Kuczma.

Friends will be received at the Mark F. Rinker Funeral Home & Memorial Service, Inc., 9 Bull Street, Cuba on Friday, September 30, 2011 from 11:00 A.M until 12:30 P.M. at which time funeral services will be held. The Rev. Sonya "Sunny" Mauser, pastor of the Cuba United Methodist Church will officiate.

Burial will be in Cuba Cemetery alongside his wife.