Biography of John William Lawrence, pages 329 / 330.  History of Northeast 
Indiana; LaGrange, Steuben, Noble, and DeKalb Counties, Vol. II, under the 
editorial supervision of Ira Ford, Orville Stevens, William H. McEwen, and 
William H. McIntosh.  The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago and New York, 
1920.

   John William Lawrence.  An old and honored family of DeKalb County bears 
the name of Lawrence, and for many years it has belonged to Richland 
Township, in the development of which it has borne a useful part.  A 
representative member of this family is John William Lawrence, who was born 
on the old homestead in Richland Township, September 13, 1856.
   The earliest American record of this branch of the Lawrence family leads 
back to John R. Lawrence, of English extraction, who lived in the village, 
now the city of Germantown, Pennsylvania.  Six of his sixteen children, 
George, David, John, Emily, Hannah and Mary, came to DeKalb County, 
Indiana.  They found here the Symonds family, who had previously lived in 
New York and Ohio, and had been the seventh family to locate in Auburn, a 
hamlet then so small that Perry Symonds is said to have asked its location 
when standing in its midst.   David Lawrence, of the above family, married 
Mary C. Symonds, a daughter of James and Mary (camp) Symonds, November 30, 
1848, and two days later they settled on the old homestead farm in Richland 
Township.  Their first round log house has disappeared, but he second and 
third houses built by David Lawrence are standing today.  Mr. Lawrence 
acquired the land by contracting to work one year for it, but the 
prevailing ague that caused much sickness in malarial districts in those 
early days attacked him and he was obliged to work six months longer in 
order to complete his contract.  He helped build the first and only water-
power saw-mill at Auburn, on Cedar Creek, and helped cut out the road from 
Auburn to the northwest.  He utilized the strength of oxen in farming and 
hauled his surplus farm products to Fort Wayne.   Three children were born 
to David Lawrence and his wife, namely: one who died in infancy; John 
William; and Emily E., who is the wife of J.S. Graham.  Mary Edna Graham, 
married John L. Harding, and they are the tenants on the old homestead 
farm. The Harding children are: Ralph G., Roy L., Mark E. and Philip W.   
Ralph G. married Pearl Roland, and they have two children, Edna Eunice and 
Roland G., these two children being in the fifth generation.  Roy L. 
Harding, who was one of the members of the early medical units to go to 
France in the World war, has given a good account of himself.  Mark 
Harding married Irene Parker, also of an old DeKalb County family.  
William L. Graham married Vesta Texter, and their children are William, 
Robert, Kenneth and John.  They had a son , Richard, who met an accidental 
death.  Maud Graham is the wife of Junius R. Latson, and they have two 
children: Wilma and Margaret.  Mary Charlotte Graham is the wife of Fred 
Krichbaum, and they have three children: Dorothy, Elizabeth and Mary 
Fredericka.
   On December 17, 1885, John William Lawrence was united in marriage to 
Alfaretta Sheffer, who was born October 28, 1866, in Jackson Township, 
DeKalb County, one of a family of seven children born to John and Martha 
(McClellan) Sheffer, the others being: Emma A.; James., who married Cora 
Chaney, has two children, Heber W. and Martha Naomi; Mary  Monellie, who 
is the wife of J. W. Garnette, and they have four children, Allie, Lloyd, 
Lucile and Kathleen; Nye C., who married Irma Huff; and Milton and Curtis, 
who died in childhood. The Sheffer family is of German descent and had 
lived in Pennsylvania and Ohio before coming to Indiana.  Mr. and Mrs. 
Lawrence have no children of their own but Miss Bernice Harding stands in 
the relation to them in affection. They have always lived in the brick 
veneer frame house built by the father of Mr.  Lawrence in 1884.  It is 
equipped with modern conveniences of every kind and is not only a home of 
comfort but one of beauty also.
   The mother of Mr. Lawrence was a charter member of the First Methodist 
Epicopal Church in Auburn and Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence have their membership 
there.  Mr. Lawrence is not active in politics but formerly his father was 
elected a trustee of the township on the republican ticket.  While they 
have never desired to change their place of residence, Mr. and Mrs. 
Lawrence have recognized the fact that there are many other parts of the 
country worth seeing and together they have traveled quite extensively as 
sightseers.   The family military record is one worth preserving in 
connection with other family history.  The Lawrences were represented in 
the Revolutionary war as well as the War of 182, and in the Civil war 
these uncles of Mr. Lawrence took part: William Sheffer and John, Harvey, 
and Alexander McClellan.  In the World war the name of Roy L. Harding 
appears as one of its heroes.  For a peaceful, law-abiding family from 
generation to generation this is a sufficient record of loyalty and 
patriotism.

Submitted by:
Arlene Goodwin
Auburn, Indiana
Agoodwin@ctlnet.com