John Franklin Lawlis was born May 09, 1872 in Columbus, Indiana to Peter Benton & Sarah Ann (Rhodes) Lawlis. Shortly after the Civil War, his parents moved the family to Clark County, Arkansas because the growing season was longer there and they were able to raise more fruits and vegetables for their large family.

Frank married Sally Skinner February 21, 1900 in Clark County Arkansas, and was soon thereafter ordained to preach. He was pastor of Methodist Churches in Bokshite and Mariette, Oklahoma, then became presiding elder in the Panhandle of Western Oklahoma where he settled his family on a homestead, near Guyman and Hocker. He later moved to Hobart, then to Central Texas where he served in Boerne, Llano, San Antonio, San Saba, Kingsville and Lampasas. Transferring to West Texas he served in Colorado City and Snyder, where he lived when he died at the age of 57. Sallie, his widow lived until May 25, 1970, most of the time in Abilene, Texas. Sallie was the daughter of William Skinner and Sarah Still. She was born July 3rd, 1878 in Arkansas. Frank and Sally had five childen. They were Esther Stokes,Sara Ruth Sanders, Paul Franklin, Mary E. Tannery, and Frances Gordon.

One of the highlights in the life of Rev. Lawlis and his family was the visitation of his nephews to his church and his home when he was the pastor of Alamo Methodist Church in San Antonio (1150 S. Alamo) during World War I. Among those nephews who were training in San Antonio and were Sunday vistors to his home and Church were: Benjamin Lawlis, son of Alfred, Louis Lawlis, son of Phillip, Peter Benton Lawlis, son of Jacob, and George, Ernest, and Steve Sloan, sons of his sister Virginia (Clemmie) Sloan.

Franklin had fifteen brothers and sisters. They were, James Algernan, Milton Allen, Simon Peter, Sarah Jane (Lane), Phillip Willard, Martha Elizabeth (Robertson), Alfred Stephen, William Clayton, Virginia Clementine (Sloan), Jacob Martin, Rachel Emma (Baker), Charlotte Alma (Winburn), Thomas Jefferson, Benjamine Edward, and Annie Lonettie (McLendon) Lawlis.