Lawrence Mack Head, Aurora

Lawrence Mack Head milked Jersey cows most of this life starting when he was 15 and milked by hand.

Lawrence was born in 1918 at Marionville and graduated from Crane High School. His military service during World War II was stateside.

In 1948 he married Norma Lee Marsh and the couple had three children-John, James, and Edith. John and James are following in their father’s footsteps operating Sycamore Jersey Farm at Aurora with their mother. James and wife Leslee have one son Aaron.

Edith married John B. Elliott and is a parent educator for Hartville Schools. The Elliotts also background steers and sell hay.

Starting milking with a grade herd, Lawrence converted to a registered Jersey operation under the recovery program of the 1930s. The herd grew and at its peak ranged between 100 and 140 cows on the milking line. The Head herd had a rolling herd average of 13,000 pounds of milk.

Lawrence’s farming operation was carried out on 512 acres.

Away from the Jersey cows Lawrence served on the Mid-America Dairymen’s division board from 1968 to 1973 and later served on the cooperative’s redistricting committee from 1974 to 1977.

The Missouri Jersey Association nominated Lawrence for the Hall of Honors Pioneer Leadership Award. The nominator noted that “one of the most important things that he did was to do all the work at the farm and home so that his wife could take the kids to the fairs and show cattle and take part in 4-H club and FFA judging and other activities.”

Lawrence was a member of the Elm Branch Christian Church and he died Jan. 31, 1990.