Ollie Elizabeth Lawrence – community advocate, bank executive, foster mom, and woman of God – departed this world for eternal life with the Lord, leaving a legacy of kindness, compassion, laughter, brilliance, and love to all who knew her.
She passed away on July 27 at her home in Los Angeles. She was 84 years old.
A native of Muskogee, Oklahoma, Ollie was born on February 23, 1940, the seventh child of nine children born to Hollis Logan and Bessie McIntosh Logan. Displaying exceptional intelligence from a young age, she excelled in her studies while attending New Hope Elementary School.
Ollie’s beloved mother passed away when she was 12 years old, but God’s hand was upon her life, sending her to Los Angeles to live with her Aunt Dora and Uncle Eulyssess in 1952. Ollie continued to succeed academically as a student at John Adams Junior High School and Manual Arts High School, both in Los Angeles.
After her high school graduation, she enrolled in classes at Los Angeles Trade Technical College and thought she was having the time of her life until she met Ellis Lawrence, Sr., who took her breath away. Considering Ellis as the love of her life, the two lovebirds joined in holy matrimony in1958 and enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship that produced sons Byron Logan and Ellis Lawrence, Jr., and daughter La Juana Lawrence.
Ollie and Ellis were a perfect match – they loved children, laughter, and God. As a result of possessing such esteemed qualities, Ollie and Ellis fostered more than 50 Los Angeles youth over three decades after they both retired from their professions. According to relatives, “They took children in from all nationalities and treated them as their own. Not only did she foster kids, but she also took in and raised all the family members’ kids. Ollie loved children!”
In addition, Ollie gave comparable dedication and commitment to her career in the banking industry. As a respected executive in her field, she held high-level, decision-making positions at United Merchants, Crocker, and Wells Fargo Bank during her 40+ years in the industry.
Her daughter fondly remembers, “Ollie hired and gave so many of my friends’ jobs in the banking to help them get their start in the work industry.” She retired in 1995.
Ollie’s faithfulness to God was demonstrated throughout her long membership with Brookins Community AME Church, now known as Brookins-Kirkland Community AME Church. Upon uniting with the congregation in 1978, she freely shared her time, talents, and treasures in a variety of capacities until her passing.
Ollie held the distinction of being the longest continuously serving Steward Board member who was consistently appointed to the Board by all six pastors of the church starting from the first pastor, the Rev. Dr. T. Larry Kirkland, Sr., and continuing to the current pastor, the Rev. Dr. Mary S. Minor. Always valued for her business acumen, Ollie was also repeatedly appointed by each pastor to the Stewardship and Finance Commission and repeatedly elected by the membership to be the church treasurer.
Also, Ollie shared her gifts with other auxiliaries of the church. She was a member of the Mary M. Kidd Women’s Missionary Society, the Willie Waddell Lay Organization, and the Bereavement Ministry. She also freely contributed to the Youth and Young Adults Department, the Christian Education Department, and just served in any capacity that needed or required her assistance and/or many talents.
Her grandson, Anthony, recalled, “Ollie was a phenomenal woman. She loved her family, extended family, friends, and neighbors. She never met a stranger. She treated everyone like family. She was a mother to all, a grandmother to all, and a friend to all. She was the person you could talk to about anything and everything, and it stayed between you and her.”
Daughter La Juana remembered, “She was a wealth of knowledge. If you needed to know something, she would find an answer for you and would give the best advice as well.”
Son Byron recollected, “She enjoyed vacations to Oklahoma, Texas, and Las Vegas with family and friends. She cooked every Sunday for her family and friends and loved playing ghetto bingo on Sundays and talking to her brother, Theodore Logan.”
On July 27, 2024, Ollie took her last trip, her luggage was packed, and she was ready to travel. The Lord picked her up in His heavenly arms and they boarded a flight to heaven at 3:45 p.m. As they were seated, He took her hand and said, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Take your rest.”
Ollie was preceded in death by her parents, Hollis Logan and Bessie McIntosh; son, Ellis Lawrence Jr.; husband, Ellis Lawrence Sr.; and siblings Roy Logan, Ermagene Brown (Henry), Amanda Logan, Hollis Jr (Gracie Mae), Mickey Walker (Vernon), Jeanetta Woodard, Sam Logan (Juliett), and Theodore Logan (Clarice).
She leaves to cherish her memory her daughter, La Juana Lawrence (Montclair, California); son Byron Logan (Los Angeles); grandson, Anthony Harris (Upland, California); grandson, Keshawn Gray; special daughters, Janice Lawrence, and Rihanna Pittman-Lawrence; special niece, Etta Lagrone of Muskogee, Oklahoma; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, church family, and friends.
