Law, H.M.
5/2/1963
February 23, 1884- May 2, 1963 |
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| The poet has well said, “Full many a gem of purest ray In ocean’s deep unfathomed cave forbear, Full many a flower is born to blush unseen And waste its sweetness on the desert air.” And the Bible speaks of, “It rained in the Desert when no man was there.” This describes Brother H. M. Law better than anyone I know. Few had such a vast storehouse of knowledge, but such poor opportunities to share it; so much to say, but so few to listen. He passed away in the P. and S. Hospital in Shreveport, May 2, 1963, as he had lived, quietly and sweetly. His family and very close friends were present as they had been for weeks of agonizing waiting for the inevitable. As was said of Lincoln, “A great tree has fallen in the forest, and it has left a lonesome place against the sky.” This is surely true for those of us who knew him best. Born in Appleton City, Missouri, February 23, 1884, he was the oldest of a family of 11 children. With his mother in the early days of the West, he lived in the Pan Handle as his family homesteaded property, miles from other people. The stories of his childhood read like something out of the Annals of the Old West. He attended Clarendon College, near Amarillo, Texas, and there he became a Local Preacher. He continued his education at Southwestern University and was graduated from Southern Methodist University. He also taught for a period in the field of Geology there. It was in this capacity I remember him as a beloved teacher and lecturer on the subject, “Finding God in Nature”. He was admitted on Trial into the Methodist Conference, and went with his bride to his first appointment in El Paso, Texas. He soon, transferred, however, to the new and very large North West Conference, which included Washington and Oregon. From this he was elected a delegate to the 1914 Session of the General Conference, which met in Atlanta, Georgia. He was married to Miss Mabel Frances Tweed, September 27th, 1909, and their lives were beautifully lived together for the next fifty-four years. He is survived by her and their three children; Mrs. Mary Evans of San Antonio, Texas; John E. Law of Shreveport. and Mrs. Johnnye Clary of Denmng, New Mexico. He also had eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Having served several small churches in the Louisiana Conference, he chose Oil City as the place of his retirement. There he became the Beloved Pastor of the town for every denomination. It was in the small Methodist Church here with his Pastor, Rev. James Jones, we gathered with his many friends to recall his favorite Scriptures and Hymns. He was carried to Dallas where beside his son Candler whom he had lost years ago, he was laid to his final rest. |
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| Source: Journal of the Louisiana Conference of the Methodist Church, Pages 265-267, 1963 by Jolly B. Harper. | |
