Jeri Lawson, 1924 – 2015

Adah Geraldine (Jeri) Lawson

Adah Geraldine (Jeri) Lawson passed away peacefully August 2, 2015 after a short stay at Whatcom Hospice House in Bellingham Washington. Jeri was born January 8, 1924, in Friday Harbor, Washington to Gunder and Adah Halvorsen.

Jeri lived her entire life on San Juan Island and resided in just 2 homes. As a young girl she helped deliver milk all over the island with her dad for their family-owned dairy. On rides around the island she loved to point out all the places they delivered milk and remember the varied requests by their customers. Jeri married Gilbert Lawson (Bert), a 2nd generation islander in 1942 and for the next years was a homemaker, raised a family, and worked on the farm on West Valley Road where she lived until 2010. All three of her children, Victor, Richard and Ruthie were born in the farm house with little assistance. “Farm girls are tough”, said Jeri.

During the years when her children were young, Jeri worked on the farm helping to raise ducks, chickens, pigs, beef cows, dairy cows and a very large garden. She helped butcher animals for food and preserved all kinds food to fill the family larder for the winter.

One method of fiscal sustainability for the farm was selling butchered rabbits to the Pike Place Market. Rabbits were hunted with a “rabbit car” by spotting and netting them at night. Once caught they were thrown into rabbit crates.  Jeri butchered two to three hundred rabbits a night to be loaded into barrels to be delivered off island to the market. She then tanned the rabbit hides to be sold as well. She always had a sense of humor and relished a practical joke too. While butchering chickens in the yard one day, a car load of tourists drove in wanting to know how to butcher rabbits they had killed. They were camping on farm property without permission so Jeri with a straight face told them to proceed just as she was doing with the chickens. Boil some water, dip the rabbits in the water and pluck the fur. “Served them right”, she said.

In 1957, Jeri and husband Bert built a sawmill on the side of their lake known as Lawson’s Pond. Island lumber is dense and the saw blades were always getting dull. It was a difficult problem as there were no saw filers on the island and sending the saws off island meant too much down time when no money was earned. Not to be deterred, Jeri stepped in and became the only woman saw filer on the west coast. It was a difficult and arduous job but she was always up to the challenge to learn new things. Beside the farming, saw filing and raising children, Jeri also worked in the medical center and helped deliver a number of island children. Well, the truth is she cleaned the medical center and helped deliver the children too. That was the island.

After raising her children Jeri went to work for Elle’s in her retail store at the corner of Guard and Spring street. It wasn’t long before Elle wanted to retire so Jeri and husband Bert bought the business. Before too long the inventory became too large for the location so Bert bought property, built the store and opened Jeri’s Department store next to the drug store. Jeri’s store carried everything an islander needed. Jeri donated and clothed many island children who otherwise couldn’t afford clothes. To advertise the store, she had give away sales, marched in the 4th of July parade as a Hush Puppy and ran ads in the local paper. People came from the mainland, other islands and Canada to shop in the store as she carried everything!

In 1980 Jeri and a few other island residents banded together to start Islander’s Bank. As one of the founders she stayed on as a Bank Director for a number of years until she retired. She was very proud of all she accomplished as a director.

Bert Lawson deceased in 1981. Jeri needed to complete Hillview Terrace, a subdivision development that they had started. Hillview Terrace I was complete but Hillview Terrace II had yet to be finished. As a result Jeri became a land developer and successfully finished what Bert had started. Hillview Terrace II is a lasting testament to her tenacity and business acumen. She was also instrumental in the development known as Lawson Ridge and would be particularly dismayed at the name change to Mt. Grant.

Whatever Jeri decided to do, she did with fervor and with a generous spirit. She loved gardening so she propagated and grew plants and gave plants to everyone, particularly at Christmas time. She loved doing ceramics and spent hours perfecting her artistic talent. She loved sewing and knitting and gave away most of her projects. A sea of purple and gold scarves knitted by Jeri can be seen at most FHHS football games.

The last few years of her life Jeri lived at The Village at the Harbour. She played bingo, sang songs and loved to chat to everyone. One cannot quantify the wonderful kindness, caring and love the Village showed her every day. Thank you to the staff and volunteers at the Village for making her last years memorable.

So, farmer, saw filer, land developer, bank director, business owner and talented gardener, artist, and knitter, in addition to jokester. But above all she loved her family, Victor (Sandi)Lawson, Richard Lawson and Ruthie (Jim) Paull. She loved her grandchildren Robbie Lawson, Cathy (Gary) VanZanten, Tom Lawson (Leah), Richard Lawson Jr. ( Trish ), Chris (Sherry) Lawson, Adam (Anne) Paull, and Ashley Paull as well as numerous great grandchildren.

Jeri was an icon to the San Juan Island community. She left her imprint indelibly stamped on this community from Islander’s Bank to Hillview Terrace, to Jeri’s Mall (Now Sundries) and Lawson Ridge (Mt. Grant). This community would not be as it is today without her foresight, strength of character, philanthropy, and yes even a little joke once in awhile.   She is predeceased by her brother and sister, her husband and one son, Richard Lawson. In lieu of flowers and to honor Jeri’s love of island families and children, donations can be made to Family Resource Center PO Box 1981, Friday Harbor, Washington 98250.

Please join us for a Celebration of Life for Jeri Lawson at the Mullis Center, Aug. 22, 2015 from 1:00 to 4:00.

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