Tuesday, February 18, 2025
TRIBUTE TO LAWRENCE TAYLOR
Dear Ilda, Darrell, Marla, Travis, Logan, Frank and Shirley:
I was really sorry to hear of Lawrence’s passing, and have certainly been praying for you. I had the benefit and enjoyment of knowing Lawrence for twenty years while being in ministry at the Lower Granville United Baptist churches. Lawrence was one of those Christians every minister craves to have in their congregation - absolutely faithful in church attendance, always cheery, and willing to do whatever he could to serve, including over the years, being a deacon and a trustee. He always had an affectionate smile and a sturdy handshake as he went out the church-door, which gave me a feeling of encouragement as I went home. And often he would have a humorous comment, which was made more so by his deep voice, with a bit of an accent and drawl.
Many times when I would be visiting in their home I had the delight of enjoying a supper of delicious lobster chowder or lobster sandwiches. One time while visiting I observed Lawrence disappearing several times into the basement. Apparently he had come up with a mysterious process for freezing fresh fish. It had something to do with putting a thin layer of cold water over the fish, and repeating this at appropriate intervals. I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag but as a career fisherman he knew the best way to do anything involving fish!
Something that I was amazed at was Lawrence’s “high-rise” - that is his high-rise deer-proof fence. No matter how agile, no deer was getting into his beautiful vegetable garden. His flowers and shrubs were lovely also.
While on the subject of produce, I always enjoyed when Lawrence and Ilda would come up to the parsonage and help me pick peaches. I had one peach tree, and it must have been the most ungainly, unattractive and under-nourished fruit tree on the whole road. However, it produced a plentiful crop of really tasty peaches year after year. Lawrence and Ilda would take some for themselves and for anyone in “The Beach” who could use them. They always seemed to enjoy my dog, Lacy, or later Diamond, who supervised the process, and also, Ilda and me, as we alternately cringed and prayed. Lawrence had no fear of heights and even (over)
at age eighty or so, was determined to climb up to get the fruit off the top of that very weak-looking tree! And in return for the peaches, I got some of Lawrence’s plums which were great for jam.
One final note: Perhaps the year before he retired, possibly due to low tide, Lawrence got his boat caught up on some rocks at the mouth of the Gut. Sister-in-law, Snookie, gave him a good ribbing over that! (They may both have been deacons of the Victoria Beach church at that time, I forget.) Anyway, she told him that with all of his years of experience, he was someone the younger fisherfolk needed to be able to look up to, so he should be providing a better example!
Well, I am sure they could look up to Lawrence as an example of a friendly, skilled and industrious neighbour and fisherman. I KNOW they could look up to him as a dedicated Christian church-member, and a faithful, thoughtful husband, father, grandfather and brother, who loved dearly, and delighted in, his family. I know you will miss him so much, as will the church and community. Even though you must be feeling overwhelmed and fatigued with loss, I pray that you will rest in the knowledge that Lawrence is in a beautiful dwelling place prepared especially by his Saviour, Jesus. And also that God will strengthen you, my dear, beautiful friends, as you rest in Him. ( I did a version of this yesterday but unfortunately it ended up in “cyber-space”, so this is later than I wanted it to be.)
In Christian love, Elizabeth (Rev. Elizabeth Waugh-Olmstead)
“The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)
