Dr. Collus LAWHEAD retires, 2014

LAWHEAD, CLARK, REYNOLDS, FULLERTON, LEAZENBY, KNIGHT

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 8/8/2014 at 20:06:10

Lawheads had practice in city for 100 years
By Maggie Jennett

Saying that dentistry is a Lawhead family tradition is no overstatement. From his grandfather, to his father and then on to him, Collus Lawhead is a third generation Mount Ayr dentist.

It all started 100 years ago, in June 1914, when Dr. C.C. Lawhead joined Dr. Clark's practice in Mount Ayr. Dr. Lawhead worked two days in Mount Ayr with Dr. Clark, two days in Redding with Dr. Fullerton and two days with Dr. Reynolds in Caledonia. He continued this routine until he opened his own practice in the upstairs of a drug store.

Dr. C.C. Lawhead practiced dentistry for at least 40 years before retiring. Fun fact: Dr. C.C. Lawhead's brother-in-law, Dr. Raymond Leazenby, practiced dentistry in Mount Ayr with Lawhead. Just another family member with dentistry in their blood.

Next in the line of family dentists was Collus' father, Dr. Charles Lawhead. Dr. Lawhead worked for 38 years before retiring. He began assisting his father, Dr. C.C. Lawhead, before taking over the practice from him.

Dr. Collus Lawhead was next to come for the family of dentists. Collus graduated from Mount Ayr Community High School in 1966 and then from the University of Iowa in 1970. In 1974, he graduated from dental school and bought Dr. B.W. Knight's practice. Around 1976, Dr. Collus Lawhead joined his father's practice.

"I always liked dentistry," said Lawhead. "I liked the people I worked with."

Dr. Lawhead liked seeing the families, watching children grow and the town do well.

And an you guess who else is a dentist? Collus' younger brother practices dentistry in Muscatine.

After having to call it quits in dentistry because of medical reasons, Dr. Collus Lawhead doesn't have any specific plans, but he enjoys singing in the First Christian Church choir, helping with vacation Bible school and golfing.

However, the family tradition isn't done. Collus' nephew just graduated from the University of Iowa and is going to dental school soon. Who knows, maybe some day we will have another Lawhead practicing dentistry in Mount Ayr.

Photograph courtesy of Mount Ayr Record-News

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, August of 2014

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