William Lawrence Webster, the son of John W. and Elenor E. (Johnson) Webster, was born October 23, 1923 in Rock Port, Missouri. He attended Red Star Country School, Northwest of Rock Port. He was a member of the Red Star Hill-Billy Band, which played at the Red Star School and numerous functions throughout the county.

On February 11, 1943, Lawrence entered the United States Navy, to serve his country overseas during Word War II in the South Pacific. He was honorably discharged on December 1, 1945. On April 26, 1943, Lawrence was united in marriage to Lucille Sylvia Bray. They lived in Rock Port, Phelps City, Watson and Eastern Nebraska working construction and logging. In 1953, Lawrence began logging with his brother Willard for the Iowa Missouri Log Co. In 1971, Lawrence and Lucille started a salvage business which they operated until 1986 when they retired. Lawrence passed away Sunday morning, June 24, 2007 at Pleasant View Nursing Home, Rock Port, at the age of 83 years.

Lawrence was a member of the Assembly of God Church, Tarkio, Missouri. He was a talented musician, and enjoyed playing the guitar and other stringed instruments from a very early age. He attended many local churches where he enjoyed playing the guitar and singing hymns. Lawrence was also an avid outdoorsman who hunted turkey and deer in the bluffs Northwest of Rock Port. He and his family enjoyed many hunting and fishing trips to Canada, Wyoming, Minnesota and South Missouri. He also enjoyed his dogs, cats and eating the fresh fruit off the trees around his home. Many times he and Lucille could be seen sitting on the front porch of their home. He will be well remembered for his reading of scripture to his visiting grandchildren each night at bedtime.

Lawrence was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Lucille, March of 2007, and two brothers, Albert and Willard Webster.

Survivors include his daughter, Linda Armstrong and her husband Leo, son John Webster and his wife Judy, all of Rock Port; granddaughters, Julie Shallenberger and husband Kevin, Omaha, Nebraska and Jill Webster, Columbia, Missouri; two great-granddaughters, Addison and Macie Shallenberger.

Services will be held at 2:00 pm, Wednesday, June 27, 2007 at the Minter Funeral Chapel, Rock Port
Burial: High Creek Cemetery, Watson, MO
The family will receive friends: Tuesday, June 26, 2007, 7:00 to 8:00 pm, Minter Funeral Chapel.
Memorials may be directed to purchase a Veteran’s Brick for Lawrence to be placed in the “Walk of Honor.”
Military Honors under the auspices of the Ralph Greer American Legion Post #49
Services under the direction of Minter Funeral Chapel