Lawton G. Gambill (1924 – 2009)

Lawton G. Gambill died Sunday, July 26, 2009, in Fort Worth. He was 84 years old.
Funeral: 2 p.m. Thursday at Thompson’s Harveson & Cole Funeral Home. Interment: A private graveside service will follow in Greenwood Memorial Park. Visitation: 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
Honorary pallbearers: Walker Friedman, Terry Gardner, Vernon Mayfield, Bill McCann, Kleber Miller, Thomas R. Romine, Frank Sherwood and Dennis Swift.
Memorials: His memory may be honored with a gift to Operation Smile, 6435 Tidewater Drive, Norfolk, Va. 23509, or Tarrant Area Food Bank, Box 11527, Fort Worth, Texas 76110-0527.
Lawton G. Gambill was born in Atwood, Kan., on Aug. 27, 1924. He moved with his parents to Fort Worth when he was 2. Lawton graduated from Arlington Heights High School in 1941. He then attended TCU until he joined the U.S. Army in 1943. He was a non-commissioned officer in the 89th Infantry Division, which joined the Third Army under Gen. Patton in Germany. He was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge and a Bronze Star. He was honorably discharged in 1945 after the war ended.
After his discharge Lawton attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he received a B.A., and in 1951 graduated from its School of Law with a bachelor of law degree. He was and remained a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity.
Joan Griffin of Fort Worth was also attending the University of Texas at Austin. Joan and Lawton began dating in 1947 and married June 9, 1949. They had a good fortune of living to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on June 9.
Following graduation from law school, Lawton became an employee of Texas & Pacific Coal and Oil Co., working as a landman in Baton Rouge and Midland for 18 months, at which time he was transferred to its law department in Fort Worth. Toward the end of 1953 he decided he would prefer private practice and so resigned from the company and joined a law firm that, after several name changes over the years, is now known as Law, Snakard & Gambill. In 1986 due to health reasons, he quit practicing law. He then began more than 20 years of enjoying golf, woodcarving, reading, traveling and his expanding family in numbers rather than weight.
Lawton Gambill was truly devoted to his family and friends, and his devotion was returned in full measure. He will be greatly missed by all. As one small example of his thoughtfulness towards others, Lawton specifically instructed that the following be included in his obituary, “I thank Robert H. Kelly, M.D., for the excellent and conscientious medical treatment he provided me for so many years.”
He was preceded in death by his parents and his beloved son-in-law, Don Ivy.
Survivors: His devoted wife of 60 years, Joan Gambill; his loving children, Anne Ivy, Jeanne Woollis and husband, John, Louis Gambill and wife, Mary, and Mary Elaine Lambert and husband, Hal; 10 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

 

Lawton is Alex’s Grandaddy.  Praise God he is enjoying an eternity in heaven with his Lord and Savior!  This obituary was printed in the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

I sure missed these Texas storms, but this is crazy.  We have had 2 storms with loud thunder, lightning, and pouring rain, and they where Monday and today.  Both days I have been at Jenny’s with 3 kiddos and a sweet puppy who is terrified of storms.  That makes storms a bit less enjoyable.  Monday, the thunder would strike, and Landon would walk around just a little scared saying “Boom Boom Boom”.  It was so cute.  The kiddos did pretty well.  They were a little scared, but no big deal. 

I’m sorry for the long silence.  I keep waiting to get the pictures up and ready on my computer so I can post pictures along with my updates, but I can’t seem to find the time to get them done, so, I give up for now.  I will just catch you up a bit on our transition to Texas so far, witht he promise of pictures later.

Right now the girls and I are at Jenny’s house watching Landon, who is just a couple months younger that Faith.  He is such a sweet little boy.  I am so excited to have this time with him.  You would think actually taking care of 3 kids would make blogging tough, but they are all so quiet right now watching cartoons and playing.  Faith and Landon like to pick on each other (especially Faith), but I think they will warm up to each other soon.

Let’s see…Yesterday Alex and I had an appointment at Dallas Theological Seminary with Alex’s advisor (that’s right!  Alex is officially a Seminary student).  It was so exciting.  His advisor took 3 hours to introduce us to people, share with us a bit of what to expect, and show us around campus.  It is a very nice campus, and everyone is so friendly.  We are even more excited now.  There is even a Wives of Students group that I am going to next month.  I think they meet once a month and also offer bible studies.  The first meeting is an introduction to all that is offered, so I will let you know more when I know.  Alex has his schedule – Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and a Thursday afternoon class, and one on-line class, and he has all but a couple of his books (well, at least they have been ordered and are on their way). 

While we were there, the girls had so much fun with their uncle Danny (actually, he’s my uncle Danny, but I will share : )  Faith just loves him.  When he walks in the door, she goes running to him squeeling “DANNY” and gives him a great big hug and cuddles with him for a little while.

Alex also has a couple prospects for jobs.  He has a contact for teaching low brass lessons in Frisco ISD.  Alex also has an audition next week for a position that he is so excited about.  It is for Aim for Success, a non profit organization, and he would be a motivational speaker to middle and high school students on sexual abstinance.  That would be so awesome for him.  He performed one section of the script for me,a nd it was so great!  What a great message, and it is so entertaining (especially when Alex does it).  I wish I’d have heard this in middle or high school.  It gives kids so much to think about and concider when it comes time to make their decisions.  Alex also has an audition for the Air National Guard Reserve band in Fort Worth.  Wow…that’s a lot of jobs.  What is awesome is that all of them are flexible with Alex’s school schedule.  God is awesome and is providing for all of our needs and so much more.

Now we are praying about and deciding where we are going to live.  I think we may stay in the Mesquite area, since it is close to Alex’s school and to Frisco, where Alex may be teaching lessons.  We have 2 neighborhoods here we are concidering (good school district) and another one in Garland someone at church wants to take us to see.  It sounds like a few families from church live in that area and there are a few houses available soon there.  We are also considering renting vs. buying.  We will see what God has for us.

We went to the church that we now call home.  It is Lake Pointe, Town East.  We really love it.  It is where my dad goes.  We have already met some of the leaders int he church and have a Bible Study Adult Fellowship group we are going to try out next week.  The girls also loved it.  I’m excited to get involved and to make our selves ‘at home’ in God’s house : )

Well, I’m off to cuddle with some little ones.  I’ll write more later and get pictures up as soon as I can.

It’s official…We’re Texans again : )

I have been blogging in my head throughout the begining of this great big transition we have been going through, but this is really the first chance I have had to actually sit at the computer and write it out.  Since it is late, I’m going to just write a promise of more to come tomorow.

For tonight, though, I just have to share the AWESOME news!!!  Sorry to leave you hanging, but I can’t share details quite yet, but I have been crying happy tears all day (ok…actually weeping uncontrolably at times) for my dear friend.  I have been praying for a certain situation in her life everyday since we became friends, and it looks like God is setting things in motion.  He is soooooo AWESOME.  I love you so much, my friend.  I can’t wait for that Vegas vacation very soon ; ) 

Saying goodbye : (

I had to say my first tough goodbye yesterday. Emily and I got to spend one last day together Monday. It was so nice having some quality time together. She took me to eat, just the 2 of us, for my birthday. We spent the morning at Andi and Nadine at Andi’s for pumpkin pancakes (our last time all together). And, we spent the girls nap time knitting and chatting. What a perfect day, until it came to an end. Instead of saying goodbye, we made plans to get together Wednesday for coffee.

  

Obviously, the girls love their Auntie Em too. 

Emily is such an awesome friend. I hate leaving her. I am so blessed that God put her in my lif here in Japan, and I know this is not the end. We will see each other again (I will make sure of it). Right now, she is beginning her long adventure of train rides, airport waiting, flying, more airport waiting,a dn even more flying to get to beautiful CA for a week with her best friend and brand new nephew. I know she is going to have so much fun. Please pray for safe and stress-free traveling, and a day surrounded by sweet, helpful, loving people.

I have actually really enjoyed our time here in Japan, especially the past few months. It has been pretty hard here and there, but we have grown to love it. I am really going to miss it here, especially the dear friends God has put in our lives.

We also had one last family gathering with our dear friends Monica, Mas, and Chiharu. It was so much fun. It’s always hard getting all of us together, with Alex traveling with the navy, and Mas being a pilot 5 days a week. We had so much fun! Mas cooked us a delicious dinner,a nd Monica and Chi made a birthday cake for Monic and me.

We blew out candles (which was so much fun for the kiddos too : )

 
and then opened sweet presents from them. Monica gave me a beautiful cross necklace from her favorite glass store in Okinawa. It is so special. THank you so much!

Chiharu gave the girls awesome beach towels for Papaw’s pool.

After that, we headed outside to do fireworks. What a treat!

 

Oh my goodness. I am overwhelmed with the love God has poured out on us here. What amazing life long friends we have made. And oh, the growth in Christ and in Faith in Him that we have experienced out here is an eternal blessing.

I know God has so much for us in Texas (although it is really hard to leave Japan right now, at leaxst until travel season starts back up again ; ). I am so excited to see where His path leads. God’s timing and His will are perfect. He promises to be a light unto our feet and a lamp unto our path. He never once promised to give us the Google map of our future (thank you Chaps for that awesome picture). We trust in the path God is leading us down, even though we don’t know exactly where He is taking us.

And, just for fun, here are a few more pictures fromt he last week:

Hannah is so good at folding towels and clothes, and she loves to help.

Faith and Isaiah, partners in crime. 

Faith just loves Isaiah.  She asks for him all the time.  They have so much fun together (and act like brother and sister at times.

 
Check out the beautiful flowers I found at the Commissary for around $10.  This would cost $50 or more if I bought it already arranges from a florist.  It made our house smell so good for over a week,a nd it brightens my day every time I see them.

Hannah fell asleep this way one night.  Too cute : )

That’s my Hannah Banana

And my sweet Faith girl, fast asleep in my arms.  (Hannah took this picture.  Pretty good!)