Happy 80th Birthday!

Well known Inglewood identity Lawson Mutch recently celebrated his 80th birthday with family and friends at the Inglewood Civic Centre.
Many of the guests travelled from as far afield as Brisbane, Toowoomba, Warwick, Goondiwindi, Texas, Yelarbon, Redcliffe and the Sunshine and Gold Coasts for the occasion.
It was a relaxed and informal day featuring a superb luncheon and a program of ballroom dancing to the music of Warwick musician Jim Kelly.
Lawson was born at Inglewood in 1931 in what was then a small wooden hospital in Regent Street. He was the second of six sons born to Bill and Queenie Mutch.
It was the depression years and Lawson’s father, although a butcher by trade, had to find work wherever he could.
This included work on cattle stations and involved the
family moving to any place there was work.
Consequently Lawson gained much of his schooling at Hurford, NSW, leaving when he was only 14 years old to go rabbit trapping to supplement the family income.
He later worked on tobacco farms near Texas and it was here he met, courted and married a pretty Texas girl, Nellie Collins.
The following years saw the young couple growing tobacco and Lawson becoming involved in the construction of the Bonshaw, Greenup, Beebo and Glenarbon weirs. During this time their three children Glenn, Gwenda and Scott were born.
A tribute to their success in their tobacco growing years was two top awards, which were on display at the party.  These were a large silver tray awarded as the first section award at the Australian National Tobacco Show, Goondiwindi, in 1960 and a Silver Jug awarded for Division Zone 6 Royal National A& I Association of Queensland 1964, the fifth Australian Tobacco Show.
In 1967 Lawson took over the Inglewood Caltex Service Station, continuing until he sold the business in 1981.
Never one to be idle, Lawson then put his carpentering skills to good use and, for the next five years, worked with two local builders on various construction projects in the town and district.
In 1986 he took on the role of Inglewood State School groundsman and also became involved with the Lions Club of Inglewood, the local Ambulance Committee and the local SES.
He and Nellie formed many lasting friendships through their love of dancing and fishing. A large number of guests at the party were members of the dancing fraternity.
Lawson officially retired in 1993 and he and Nellie began many years of annual winter caravan treks to North Queensland for fishing holidays.  Sadly this came to an end following Nellie’s sudden death.
By his own admission, Lawson has lived a full and satisfying life. He says there have been many ups and downs but despite all this, he firmly believes in the old motto “Life is what you make it”.