As a young marine in 1971, James had just arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, when he saw her. “Nancy was walking down the street with her sister and I said to myself, ‘If all the girls in Kenya look like her, then I’m all right!’” James said. Stationed at the U.S. Embassy, it took a bit of luck for their paths to cross again. “A couple of months later, a function was held at the embassy and there she was…This time I made sure I met her.”
Nancy was also delighted to see the marine again. “The day we saw James on the street, he definitely caught my eye,” Nancy said. “Then when I saw him at the embassy, I knew I wasn’t leaving until he had my number!”
The two began dating and exploring their different cultures. “My father was British, so I was familiar with Western ways,” Nancy said. “And James loved learning about my mother’s heritage.” While stationed in Kenya, James spent time at Nancy’s family farm in the Kenyan bush country. “It was a privilege to spend time with her parents and siblings,” he said. “This gave us all an opportunity to get to know each other very well.”
Their relationship continued while James was stationed in various locations. When his tour of duty ended, it came time to determine what was next. “I was accepted at M.I.T. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) for engineering,” James said. “When I told Nancy about it, she didn’t want to live in Boston. But she had visited Oklahoma and liked it, so I returned to my hometown of Stillwater and attended OSU.”
Upon arriving in the United States, Nancy and James were told that in order to stay in the country, they had three weeks to get married. “It was pretty quick, but we got married and moved in with my parents while I went to school,” James said.
“It was a big adjustment,” Nancy said. “But James’ mother was a wonderful woman and the people of Oklahoma were very friendly and kind – like people in Kenya.”
Through the years, the Lawsons made it a priority to teach their children about their British and Kenyan roots. They have been fortunate enough to travel back to Africa on numerous occasions. “I left my family and my home, but I have no regrets,” Nancy said. “Because of patience, trust and the ability to communicate, James and I have had a blessed life together.”