Harvey Lawlis was born August 8, 1903 at Anson, Texas, son of Mr. and Mrs Jacob Martin Lawlis. His father, a farmer, had come from Indiana to Arkansas, and finally to Texas about the turn of the century, settling in Rosebud, and then at Anson. Harvey was the fifth of ten children. His brothers were: Samuel Donnel, Peter Benton Lawlis, a retired farmer and stockman, Simon Ervin Lawlis, an employee of the City of Vernon, Bryan Lawlis of San Angelo, a shoe business owner, and Jimmie Lawlis of Amarillo, a building contractor. His sisters were Mrs. Grace Martz and Alma Elizabeth Jeffery, of Wichita Falls, whom were both retail sales ladies, and Mildred Frankie Castleberry of Vernon.

The family moved from Anson to Lamesa when Mr. Lawlis was five years old and then was forced by years of drought to leave Lamesa in 1912. The family came in a train of six wagons from Dawson County to Wilbarger County, and on a number of occasions had to purchase drinking water.

The water shortage ended near Seymour when they were forced to ford the Brazos River. Water came into the Wagons and Mr. Lawlis said, "It liked to have scared me to death."

The family settled first in the Hinds community and then moved to the W.S. Bourland farm East of Vernon. Harvey attended the old Dawson Valley School, then the Thompson School. The family moved to Tolbert when Harvey was in the 10th grade and later to Elliott. He won a number of trophies in High jump and high hurdles while in school.

Harvey started farming with his father in Elliott in 1924 and on December 11, 1927, he married Willie Lee Dockery, Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. J.W. Dockery, whom he had met a number of years earlier in Tolbert.

Mr. Lawlis worked for one year at the Coca Cola Bottling company, spent a year in 1929 working for the circulation department of The Vernon Record, and returned to the farm, farming first in Elliott and then near South Lockett.

He served on the Lockett School Board, prior to moving to Vernon. He was active in Baptist Associational work and served as Sunday School superintendant for 12 years, a portion of the time in Lockett, and several years at the Calvery Baptist Church in Vernon. He was ordaned a deacon in 1946.

He went into the rental business around 1946 and then at the same time began a very successful career as a insurance salesman which lasted decades until his retirement.