Lille Frances "Mama Lillie "Lawton 99 received her heavenly reward, Saturday May 21, 2016 with family by her side. A service of Praise and celebration will be held Wednesday May 25, 2016 at 11:00am at Greater Faith Community Church located at 417 Wesley St. with Bishop Aaron Blake as the Eulogist. A visitation will be held at the Church Tuesday from 6-8pm. Lille was born December 9, 1916 in Brownwood TX to the parentage of Benjamin Thomas and Mary Gilliam-Thomas, Mama Lillie being the eldest along with her two brothers, Benjamin Thomas and Parker Carter. Lillie was the Valedictorian of the 1933 Class of R.F. Hardin High School. Lillie attended college at Houston –Tillotson in Austin TX. During World War II, Mrs. Lillie Lawton was a welder in a shipyard in California, She was the only woman welder on the crew. After two years, and following the ending of war, Lillie finally decided she had had enough of welding, and got out the scissors. Mrs. Lawton went from ship-yard to barbering school. For 27 years, she owned and operated barbershops in San Francisco, San Mateo, Sweetwater and Brownwood. Her shop in Brownwood during the 1960's was on Beaver Street. In 1970 she sold her shops, and enrolled in nursing school working as a Licensed vocational nurse until retirement. Lillie was a faithful member of Little Zion Baptist Church and in her later years became a member of Greater Faith Community Church for many years, where she was a strong yet humble steward for the lord. She was a sought afterspeaker, Sunday school teacher, and up until she wasn't able to, she wrote a column in the church bulletin called "Mama Lillies Corner". Left to cherish her memories are four daughters Mary Helen Reed (Allen J.) of Wichita Falls TX, Brenda E. Skinner of Brownwood, Michelle McDowell of Brownwood, Aleta Lowe (Charles) of Brownwood sons James Bagley (Janet) of Brownwood and Michael Lawton (Mary) of Austin, 19 grandchildren, 39 great-grandchildren, numerous great-great-grandchildren, and a host of extended family and many friends. Mama Lille was preceded in death by Husband James T. Lawton, parents Benjamin Thomas Sr. and Mary E. Carter, daughter Malinda J. Wright, and two brothers Benjamin Thomas Jr., and Parker D. Carter.