Her first career path was to become a teacher, inspired by her desire to help others. While she would keep that love the rest of her life, she felt early on that female teachers were being passed over for promotions.
So, Lawrence went to law school and earned her juris doctor in 1939. It became the tool that she would use time and again to fight for what she believed. And while teaching may have brought her to Nevada County, it was her law degree that got her the job as the first county counsel in 1964.
Being more involved with the board as a lawyer gave her familiarity with what she felt the board was doing behind the public's back. She was determined to change the board's approach, so she ran for supervisor in District 2 in 1968 on a platform of Christian ethics in government.
She won.
After serving four years on the board, Lawrence chose not to run again.
Instead, she wanted to pursue a passion that was first recognized when she was just 4 years old - animals. At that age, Lawrence learned about the origins of meat and became a vegetarian.
Lawrence was a humane officer for 20 years and devoted her life to helping animals, including starting up the nonprofit AnimalSave, with the hopes of building a no-kill shelter, a goal which has not yet been accomplished. She also won local, state, and national recognition for her work, including being named in "Who's Who in American Women."
She particularly loved cats, and many in the county knew her as the "cat lady" because she'd fenced in her land to be home to about 30 rescued cats.
Lawrence also deeply loved her family, taking care of both her brothers and her mother at her home until their deaths, friends said. She did marry twice, but both marriages had already ended by the 1960s, Boivin said. She never had any children.
Lawrence was particularly driven when it came to the things she cared most about, whether it was helping animals find homes, upholding the law, fighting to carve an easier path for women, or teaching children to love math.
Described by friends as "sassy," "elegant," and "crusading" with a "tremendous sense of humor," Lawrence spent most of her life challenging traditional beliefs and taking care of others, especially animals, until her death.
No services are planned for Lawrence, and memorial contributions can be made to Animal Save, P.O. Box 817, Grass Valley 95945.
So, Lawrence went to law school and earned her juris doctor in 1939. It became the tool that she would use time and again to fight for what she believed. And while teaching may have brought her to Nevada County, it was her law degree that got her the job as the first county counsel in 1964.
Being more involved with the board as a lawyer gave her familiarity with what she felt the board was doing behind the public's back. She was determined to change the board's approach, so she ran for supervisor in District 2 in 1968 on a platform of Christian ethics in government.
She won.
After serving four years on the board, Lawrence chose not to run again.
Instead, she wanted to pursue a passion that was first recognized when she was just 4 years old - animals. At that age, Lawrence learned about the origins of meat and became a vegetarian.
Lawrence was a humane officer for 20 years and devoted her life to helping animals, including starting up the nonprofit AnimalSave, with the hopes of building a no-kill shelter, a goal which has not yet been accomplished. She also won local, state, and national recognition for her work, including being named in "Who's Who in American Women."
She particularly loved cats, and many in the county knew her as the "cat lady" because she'd fenced in her land to be home to about 30 rescued cats.
Lawrence also deeply loved her family, taking care of both her brothers and her mother at her home until their deaths, friends said. She did marry twice, but both marriages had already ended by the 1960s, Boivin said. She never had any children.
Lawrence was particularly driven when it came to the things she cared most about, whether it was helping animals find homes, upholding the law, fighting to carve an easier path for women, or teaching children to love math.
Described by friends as "sassy," "elegant," and "crusading" with a "tremendous sense of humor," Lawrence spent most of her life challenging traditional beliefs and taking care of others, especially animals, until her death.
No services are planned for Lawrence, and memorial contributions can be made to Animal Save, P.O. Box 817, Grass Valley 95945.
Her first career path was to become a teacher, inspired by her desire to help others. While she would keep that love the rest of her life, she felt early on that female teachers were being passed over for promotions.
So, Lawrence went to law school and earned her juris doctor in 1939. It became the tool that she would use time and again to fight for what she believed. And while teaching may have brought her to Nevada County, it was her law degree that got her the job as the first county counsel in 1964.
Being more involved with the board as a lawyer gave her familiarity with what she felt the board was doing behind the public's back. She was determined to change the board's approach, so she ran for supervisor in District 2 in 1968 on a platform of Christian ethics in government.
She won.
After serving four years on the board, Lawrence chose not to run again.
Instead, she wanted to pursue a passion that was first recognized when she was just 4 years old - animals. At that age, Lawrence learned about the origins of meat and became a vegetarian.
Lawrence was a humane officer for 20 years and devoted her life to helping animals, including starting up the nonprofit AnimalSave, with the hopes of building a no-kill shelter, a goal which has not yet been accomplished. She also won local, state, and national recognition for her work, including being named in "Who's Who in American Women."
She particularly loved cats, and many in the county knew her as the "cat lady" because she'd fenced in her land to be home to about 30 rescued cats.
Lawrence also deeply loved her family, taking care of both her brothers and her mother at her home until their deaths, friends said. She did marry twice, but both marriages had already ended by the 1960s, Boivin said. She never had any children.
Lawrence was particularly driven when it came to the things she cared most about, whether it was helping animals find homes, upholding the law, fighting to carve an easier path for women, or teaching children to love math.
Described by friends as "sassy," "elegant," and "crusading" with a "tremendous sense of humor," Lawrence spent most of her life challenging traditional beliefs and taking care of others, especially animals, until her death.
No services are planned for Lawrence, and memorial contributions can be made to Animal Save, P.O. Box 817, Grass Valley 95945.
So, Lawrence went to law school and earned her juris doctor in 1939. It became the tool that she would use time and again to fight for what she believed. And while teaching may have brought her to Nevada County, it was her law degree that got her the job as the first county counsel in 1964.
Being more involved with the board as a lawyer gave her familiarity with what she felt the board was doing behind the public's back. She was determined to change the board's approach, so she ran for supervisor in District 2 in 1968 on a platform of Christian ethics in government.
She won.
After serving four years on the board, Lawrence chose not to run again.
Instead, she wanted to pursue a passion that was first recognized when she was just 4 years old - animals. At that age, Lawrence learned about the origins of meat and became a vegetarian.
Lawrence was a humane officer for 20 years and devoted her life to helping animals, including starting up the nonprofit AnimalSave, with the hopes of building a no-kill shelter, a goal which has not yet been accomplished. She also won local, state, and national recognition for her work, including being named in "Who's Who in American Women."
She particularly loved cats, and many in the county knew her as the "cat lady" because she'd fenced in her land to be home to about 30 rescued cats.
Lawrence also deeply loved her family, taking care of both her brothers and her mother at her home until their deaths, friends said. She did marry twice, but both marriages had already ended by the 1960s, Boivin said. She never had any children.
Lawrence was particularly driven when it came to the things she cared most about, whether it was helping animals find homes, upholding the law, fighting to carve an easier path for women, or teaching children to love math.
Described by friends as "sassy," "elegant," and "crusading" with a "tremendous sense of humor," Lawrence spent most of her life challenging traditional beliefs and taking care of others, especially animals, until her death.
No services are planned for Lawrence, and memorial contributions can be made to Animal Save, P.O. Box 817, Grass Valley 95945.
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