Michael Steve Lawson, Sr.

Michael Steve Lawson, Sr. Mulhearn Funeral Home West Monroe, LA. Funeral services for Michael Steve Lawson, 57, of West Monroe will be held at 10:00 A.M. Friday February 22, 2008 at Cedar Crest Baptist Church in West Monroe with Dr. Greg Clark and Rev. Ben Wasson officiating. Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery Ruston, LA. Steve passed away on February 19, 2008 at Glenwood Regional Medical Center in West Monroe. On April 24th, 1950 Steve was born to R.W. Lawson and Alvearne Pearce in Ruston, LA. As a child, Steve found a love of music and the piano and a passion in them that would be a melody for the rest of his life. He graduated from Ruston High School in 1968 and he went on later to earn a degree in Music from Louisiana Tech in 1986. Soon after high school he met and married the love of his life - Mary Elizabeth Rhodes of Spearsville, LA. Together they brought three children into the world and were again blessed with two grandsons. He and his wife recently celebrated their thirty-ninth anniversary. Steve spun a varied and rich life professionally. He started out with a small aviation company with Steve as pilot and owner. From there he took a chance at having a small restaurant, spending some time in the army reserves and then running an electronics store called "The Lawson Company." It was after this that Steve changed direction somewhat and was ordained into the ministry in 1982 as a youth minister at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Ruston LA. He served again as a youth and music minister at Highland Baptist Church in West Monroe before going to El Dorado, AR as a music minister at Immanuel Baptist church. In the spring of 2005, he and his wife came back to West Monroe for Steve to become the music minister of Cedar Crest Baptist. Here, Steve served with a passion and dedication that was marked by everyone who knew him. He loved the church he served and they him. Steve was happiest spending time with the family he loved, trumping through the woods GPS in hand after his next geocache discovery or making his miniature trains chug along their tracks filling his workshop with smoke. Spirits soared when his fingers found the ivory of a baby grand or pipe organ. His smile was infectious and he went about his life a gentle and generous soul that no one who knew him will ever forget. Survivors include his wife Beth Lawson, children, Steve Lawson, Jr. and wife Mary of Spearsville, LA, Elizabeth Lawson and son-in-law Josh Burton of Houston, Tx, Matthew Lawson of Houston, TX, grandchildren, Layne and Tyler Lawson; brothers, Roger P Lawson and his wife of Jan El Dorado, AR. Philip R. Lawson and his wife Anita of Little Switzerland, NC. Pallbearers will be Jonathan Spears, Don Austin, Jonny McCartney, Barry Blanton, Marshall Pearce and David Abernathy. Honorary pallbearers will be Roger Lawson, Phil Lawson, David Moreland and Benjamin Rhodes. Visitation will be from 5:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. Thursday at Cedar Crest Baptist Church in West Monroe. Memorials may be made to the Cedar Crest Baptist Church Faith Walk. Online Registry/Condolence: www.mulhearnfuneralhome.com