Mr. Lawson Tate Payne, age 88 of 245 Stillwood Drive, Hartwell, Ga. died Saturday, December 30, 2006 at his residence.

Born May 8, 1918 in Toledo, Ohio, he was the son of the late William F. Payne and Verna Schall Payne. He was a self employed flooring contractor and was owner ofPayne Flooring. He was a member of the Hartwell First Baptist Church. Mr. Payne was a WWII U.S. Army Air Corp Veteran serving in the European Theater with the 9th Air Corp and he was a Korean War Veteran in the U.S. Air Force.

He is survived by: wife, Shirley Stanley Payne, daughters, Janet P. Oglesby and her husband Fort of Hartwell, Ga., and Kathy P. Campbell and her husband Bruce of Statesville, N.C. Five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren also survive. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers, William Payne, Granville Payne and Norman Payne, and by sisters, Mary Payne and May Belle Pender.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, January 2, 2006 at 11:00 a.m. from the chapel of Strickland Funeral Home of Hartwell. Dr. Bob Wood will officiate. Graveside services and burial will take place at 3:00 p.m. at the Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Dacula, Ga.

The body is at the funeral home, where the family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. The family will be at the home. Memorials may be made to the Hartwell First Baptist Church, 81 East Howell Street, Hartwell, Ga. 30643