Princess Florence Adebanke Lawale was born on the 11th May 1939 to his Royal Highness Oba Afunbowo Adesida and Olori Mary Elepuru Adesida. Princess FA Lawale was born into the royal family of the Deji of Akure, Ondo State in 1939, and she was born during the time that Christianity was been preached and was still a new religion. Her birth was part of the testimony to the power and healing virtue of the Almighty God, as her pregnancy was the first full term pregnancy after many spontaneously aborted pregnancies by her mother. This led to the Deji's willingness to consider this new religion and also ensure that his daughter had a Christian upbringing and was excused from some of the compulsory festivals that took place in the palace. Princess Florence Adebanke Lawale was one of the first few ladies to be educated and allowed to attend primary, secondary and further education. She fondly told stories of how within the first weeks of attending Primary school she was expected to be fluent in english language both verbal and written english. She told of the story when she was on the way to purchase some things at the Market, when she was stopped by an Igbo gentleman asking for directions. She was accompanied by another cousin, who was not 'educated' and the cousin looked expectantly at her. She thought very quickly and said "Your father, Mother" back to the Man. The Man walked on part bemused, part puzzled about what had just happened. While Mum's cousin wanted a full explanation of what had just happened, Mum in glowing remarks explained she had just defended them and the man didn’t get away with abusing. She was the hero of the day. She has fond stories to tell when she had about the three or four colourful scarfs, and she felt very rich and important. And she made sure that all the people on her street knew she was very privileged to have that many scarfs. I have many memories of growing up and going on long distant journeys and how Mum will have stories to tell. They were always funny and the stories seem to have good morals to them. Princess Florence Adebanke Lawale went to Secondary school at Oduduwa College, Ile Ife, where she stayed with the Ooni of Ile Ife and was brought up as one of his own children. She then went to School at Oshogbo (where she stayed with her Sister) and then went to Ilesha Grammar School for her Science Classes during the later years of her Education. Princess F A Lawale was a serious and good student who had the ambition and the dream to become a Medical Doctor and was focussed on her dreams. Sadly shorly after her completing her Secondary Education, her father the Deji of Akure, Afunbiowo the first, died and she was not able to pursue her dreams. She moved to Lagos and stayed with various relatives before she met her husband, Engr Chief C L Lawale. She was then working at the Ministry and had been working for expatriates and had a very respectable job. She later got married after a period of courtship and was blessed with three Children and six grandchildren. Amongst her Children are two Medical Consultants, Pharmacist, Chartered Civil / Structural Engineer, Solicitor and a finance Consultant. She has lived with a strong Christian witness and has many Children in the Lord.