Living

Living married Virginia "Ginny" Nell Messec Virginia was born on 26 May 1955 in Bexar County, Texas; died on 27 Nov 2019 in Bexar County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The Texas Birth Index shows her as a daughter of Cecil MESSEC Jr. and Peggy PRUITT.

Virginia Nell "Ginny" Messec, longtime editor and travel writer at the San Antonio Express-News, was a mentor and advocate for workplace policy reform when the city had two daily newspapers.

Messec, 64, died Nov. 27 after undergoing 20 months of treatment for leukemia.

Her husband, retired reporter David McLemore, said Messec's impact on local journalism encompassed helping newcomers to the staff, ensuring a quality product and advocating best practices in the workplace.

"She would rise above her innate shyness to help people," McLemore said. "She believed in people doing the right thing for others, and she was not afraid to stand up for it."

Born on May 26, 1955, at Downtown Baptist Hospital in San Antonio, Messec grew up on a family farm with five siblings and graduated from Devine High School in 1973. A few months later, she was hired at the Express-News as a typist.

Messec became a library researcher the following year. A self-taught journalist, she became an editor in the Sunday Department and Insight section, starting with a weekend shift, then moving to projects and editing columnists.

Maury Maverick, a Sunday columnist who became like a surrogate family member, would often call Messec about his ideas, and had her and McLemore over as guests at his riverside property in Castroville.

He gave her a copy of his book "Texas Iconoclast," in 1997, and wrote inside the cover, "For my old friend and editor, Ginny Messec, who had a hand in the making of this book." In an Express-News column that year, Maverick wrote that she had gotten him a pay raise, "like a good sergeant looking after the troops." Maverick died in 2003.

McLemore, then a San Antonio Express reporter who later would work for the Dallas Morning News, met Messec while covering the 1976 party primaries. He realized as they had a conversation on election night in a break area that she was "the one," he said.

Messec also was a travel writer, visiting and writing about Japan, Hawaii, West Africa's Ivory Coast and other far-flung places, as well as beaches and dude ranches in Texas. She ran a youth columnist contest, working with schools, students and parents, and repeatedly won in-house awards for her page designs. She also was project coordinator for an office wastepaper recycling program in the early 1990s.

While working in the library, Messec took a grievance about a columnist's unwanted advances to Publisher Charles O. Kilpatrick, who got the behavior to stop, McLemore said. She later was quoted in the Inside Scoop, the paper's in-house newsletter, saying she wished the Express-News had a more uniform, flexible policy for parents with sick children at home.

Messec, suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, retired in 1992 and provided home schooling for the couple's two sons. She continued to travel, McLemore said. She loved driving and having long conversations with the radio turned off.

Messec started hospice care on Nov. 14, wanting to be at home with her husband and two dogs, and slipped into a suspended state, unable to talk early on Nov. 27. She died several hours later on the eve before Thanksgiving.

"The one thing I had to be thankful for was that I had her in my life," McLemore said.

Survivors include her mother, Peggy Messec of Rye, Colo.; sons, Gabriel McLemore of Houston and Sam McLemore of Portland, Ore.; and a brother and four sisters.

A memorial service is planned in the spring.

Notes:

On the Family Search Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981, he is listed as Bass Eugene McLemore

Obituary

Eugene "Buck" McLemore, 86, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013. Funeral: 11:30 a.m. Friday at Edge Park United Methodist Church, 5616 Crowley Road, Fort Worth. Interment: 2 p.m. in Newberry Cemetery, Millsap. Visitation: 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Winscott Road Funeral Home, 1001 Winscott Road. Buck was born Feb. 21, 1926, in Ennis. He retired from Amoco Pipeline after 38 years. Buck was a dedicated member of Edge Park United Methodist Church and taught Sunday school for many years. He led a long, good and happy life, and he will be dearly missed by his family. Buck put his trust in Christ alone for life and salvation. Eugene was predeceased by his wife of 67 years, Pearl Lee McLemore; granddaughter, Darshana McLemore; and six siblings. Survivors: Son, David McLemore and wife, Ginny Messec, of San Antonio and their sons, Gabriel and Samuel; son, Paul McLemore and wife, Debora, of Fort Worth and their children, Nathan, Jonathan, Jennifer, Zachary and Allie; nine great-grandchildren; nieces, Sharon Masterson and Mary Gulley; and nephew, Marlin Hughey Sr.

Published int he Fort Worth Star-Telegram on January 17, 2013

Eugene married Pearl Lee Campbell about 1945. Pearl was born on 13 Mar 1928 in Gainesville, Cooke County, Texas; died on 20 May 2012 in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas; was buried in Newberry Cemetery, Millsap, Parker County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Pearl Lee McLemore, 84, passed away Sunday, May 20, 2012. Funeral: 11 a.m. Thursday at Edge Park United Methodist Church, 5616 Crowley Road, Fort Worth. Interment: 2 p.m. in Newberry Cemetery, Millsap. Visitation: 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Winscott Road Funeral Home, 1001 Winscott Road. Lee was born March 13, 1928, in Gainesville. She graduated from Gainesville High School. Lee was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She led a long, good and happy life, and she will be dearly missed by her family, who have many fond memories of "Lee," "Mom," "Grandmother" or "Mimi." Lee put her trust in Christ alone for life and salvation. Lee was predeceased by a sister, Ruby Gregg, and granddaughter, Darshana McLemore. Survivors: Loving husband of 67 years, Eugene "Buck" McLemore; son, David McLemore and wife, Ginny, of San Antonio and their sons, Gabriel and Sam; son, Paul McLemore and wife, Debora, of Fort Worth and their children, Nathan, Jonathan, Jennifer, Zachary and Allie; sister, Jean Edenfield and husband, Emmett, of Tullahoma, Tenn.; sister, Jo Campbell of Tullahoma, Tenn.; niece, Carolyn O'Hara; nephews, Mark, Gary and Peter Edenfield; and nine great-grandchildren.

Published in Star-Telegram on May 22, 2012

Notes:

At the time of the 1900 Census, he was living with his older brother Felix in Lee County, Texas. He was listed as Rome T. McLemore.

On his FindAGrave memorial page, createdf by Patricia Kemper, he is listed as Thaddus E McLemore. However the photo of his footstone is inscribed as Thaddus R. McLemore.

(Research):

Census Listings:

1920 Census
Texas, Parker County, Garner, Precinct 4
Enumerated 23 and 24 Jan 1920
SD 12 ED 71 Sheets 7B and 8A
141-141
McLemore, Thadeus R Head M W 39 M Tx Tx Tx Farmer
McLemore, Mamie A Wf F W 30 M Ala Ga Ga
McLemore, Audelia M F W 9 S Tx Tx Ala
McLemore, Virgil R Son m W 5 S Tx Tx Ala
McLemore, Cecil J Son M W 3 5/12 S Tx Tx Ala

1930
Family not located

Thaddeus married Mary Almeta "Mamie" Daniel on 21 Feb 1905 in Millsap, Parker County, Texas. Mary was born on 15 Mar 1889 in Alabama; died on 15 Mar 1969 in Mineral Wells, Palo Pinto County, Texas; was buried in Newberry Cemetery, Parker County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JD5J-W4M
Name: Mary Almeta Mclemore
Death Date: 23 Mar 1969
Death Place: Mineral Wells, Palo Pinto, Texas
Gender: Female
Race: Caucasian
Death Age: 79 years
Estimated Birth Date:
Birth Date: 15 Mar 1889
Birthplace: Alabama
Marital Status: Widowed
Spouse's Name:
Father's Name: William O. Daniel
Father's Birthplace:
Mother's Name: Margaret Bradley Daniel
Mother's Birthplace:
Occupation: Housewife
Place of Residence: Minral Wells, Palo Pinto, Texas
Cemetery: Newberry
Burial Place: Parker County, Texas
Burial Date: 25 Mar 1969
Additional Relatives: X
Film Number: 2137518
Digital Film Number: 4029610
Image Number: 321
Reference Number: CN44206
Collection: Texas, Deaths, 1890-1976