John Roy McLemore

1896 - 1961  (65 years)

• Name	John Roy McLemore  [1, 2]
  Born	8 Jan 1896	Erin, Jasper County, Texas   [1, 2]
  Gender	Male
  Died	30 Apr 1961	Paris, Lamar County, Texas   [1]
  Buried	Evergreen Cemetery, Paris, Lamar County, Texas
  Notes	ROY McLEMORE, BOY OF FEW WORDS Ivy McLemore often told his children this story favorite story about his younger brothers: When Roy and Lee were rather small children, Roy received a new coin purse of the type that snaps together on the top. He was playing with it while sitting beside the fireplace one night, when he inadvertently snapped it onto his lower lip. In a voice showing some consternation he said, "Come hyar, Lee!" Lee was engrossed with something else and ignored Roy for the moment. In a somewhat more insistant voice, Roy repeated "Come hyar, Lee!." When Lee still had not come, Roy's voice rose in a crescendo and, with the purse pinching his lip, causing excruciating pain, he fairly screamed, "I SAID COME HYAR, LEE!!" (Submitted by Ivy's son, Bobbie McLemore) 1920 Federal Census It appears that Roy was working as an Oil Field Laborer in Iowa Park, Wichita County, Texas at the time of this census. His listing appears as follows: McLemore, John R. Lodger M w 24 S Tx Tx Tx Laborer Oil Field He is living in the Lodging home of Dale and Vivian PIERCE, both from Iowa. This census enumeration was completed in January, 1920. Living in the boarding home at the same time was Walter Winfield STRONG. In an amazing coincidence, meaning absolutely nothing, Walter's great grandson, Tom STRONG, would some sixty years later marry Roy McLemore's half first cousin, twice removed, Melinda McLEMORE. Former President of Paris Junior College in Paris, Texas. The student union building is named in his honor. Tombstone is inscribed, 'TX, PFC, Company A, 358th Infantry, WW I, PH." THE PARIS NEWS, 30 Apr 1961. 'On the eve of his retirement after 35 years association with Paris Junior College, Dr. J.R. McLemore, its president since 1929, died of a heart attack Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at his home, 2343 Culbertson St. Due to retire within a month as head of the college, he had been named honoree for the Ex-Students Association annual spring banquet on May 20, the same group having presented an appreciation plaque to him at the 1960 fall homecoming game. Joining the faculty of the two year old college in 1926 as basketball coach and instructor, he became its head three years later, and guided its growth, from obscure quarters in Paris High School basement and a shoestring budget, to a million and a half dollar plant, and a high scholastic standing. Monday evening, 'Doctor Mac's' body will lie from 7 to 9 p.m. in DeShong Chapel on the college campus, and Tuesday at 2 p.m. service will be held at Fry and Gibbs Funeral Home. Dr. Ronald Prince of First Baptist Church, where Dr. McLemore was a deacon, will officiate, assisted by the Rev. John Shuler of First Methodist Church. Interment will be made in Evergreen Cemetery. Surviving are Mrs. McLemore, the former Miss Willie Mae Robinson; these children: Capt. John Robinson (Pondus) McLemore, US Air Force, Panama City, Fla.; Mrs. Newton O. Felps, Baytown, and Mrs. Wallace Finfrock, Dallas; four grandchildren; these sisters and brothers; Mrs. Robert Morgan, Kirbyville; Mrs. Ollie Newman and Mrs. Clyde Wilkinson, Houston; Frank McLemore, Beaumont, and Ivan McLemore and Lee McLemore, both of Jasper. Son of Samuel M. and Rose Ella (Bean) McLemore, John Roy McLemore was born at Erin, Jasper County, 8 Jan 1896. He attended Sam Houston State Teachers College, Huntsville, and later, East Texas State at Commerce, receiving his master's degree from the University of Texas, and the honorary LLD from Howard Payne College. He studied for a time at the University of Dijon in France, after World War I service with the 90th Division, and wore the Purple Heart for injuries during that period. He married Miss Robinson at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. R.M. Robinson at Biardstown, 27 Dec 1920, and they taught the nearby Burnett school together for two years. In the spring of 1926, Dr. McLemore taught French before joining the PJC faculty here for the fall term. He became the first president of the Texas Public Junior College Association; headed also the Junior College Athletic Association, the Texas Association of Universities and Colleges, and was treasurer of the Committee on Cooperation between Colleges and Public Schools and was listed in 'Who's Who in America. Source: http://theusgenweb.org/tx/lamar/cemetery/ (Courtesy of Debra Usry) (Research):Census Listings: 1930 Federal Census Texas, Lamar County, Paris, Fourth Ward Culberston Street #556-138-142 McLemore Roy Head O $3000 M W 34 M 24 Tx Tx Tx Teacher Junior College McLemore, Willie M Wife F W 30 M 21 Texas La Mississippi Teacher Public School McLemore, Mysie L Dtr F w 7 S Tx Tx Tx
  Person ID	I2017	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	17 Aug 2014

  
  

  Father	Samuel McFarland McLemore,   b. 22 Oct 1862, Erin, Jasper County, Texas ,   d. 5 Jul 1924, Jasper County, Texas  (Age 61 years)
  Mother	Rose Ella Bean,   b. 24 Nov 1862, Texas ,   d. 29 Mar 1943, Kirbyville, Jasper County, Texas  (Age 80 years)
  Married	20 Dec 1891	Jasper County, Texas   [1]
  	Both Samuel and Rose Ella had been previously married, and each had children of their own prior to their marriage. Rose Ella's children, Cecil, Hattie and Annie were raised by Samuel. According to Nan McCoy Kittell, the grandchildren of Sam and Rose Ella called them "Other Papa" and "Other Mama."
  Family ID	F1306	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Willie Mae Blanche "Babe" Robinson,   b. 7 Oct 1899, Biardstown, Lamar County, Texas ,   d. 21 Mar 1986, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas  (Age 86 years)
  Married	27 Dec 1920	Biardstown, Lamar County, Texas   [1]
  Children	1. Mysie Kelly Lee McLemore,   b. 30 Dec 1922, Biardstown, Lamar County, Texas ,   d. 8 Mar 1978, Baytown, Harris County, Texas  (Age 55 years)   2. John Robinson "Pondus" McLemore,   b. 1 Sep 1930, Paris, Lamar County, Texas ,   d. 22 May 1982, Oxon Hill, Prince Georges County, Maryland  (Age 51 years)   3. Living
  Photos		McLemore, John Roy and Willie Mae, Family Home The family home in Paris, Texas, possibly at 2343 Culbertson Street, which was the address of his residence at the time of his death
  		McLemore, Roy and Babe, 1957 John Roy and Willie Mae McLemore, just prior to the 1957 wedding of their eldest child, John Robinson "Pondus" McLemore in Homerville, Georgia
  Documents » Slide Show		McLemore, John Roy and Willie Mae (Robinson) Family History From a digital scrapbook put together by Sharon McLemore Goforth detailing the families history
  		McLemore, John Roy and Willie Mae (Robinson) Family History From a digital scrapbook put together by Sharon McLemore Goforth detailing the families history, relating to Roy's Military Service during the First World War
  		McLemore, John Roy and Willie Mae (Robinson) Family History From a digital scrapbook put together by Sharon McLemore Goforth detailing the families history, and the young couples courtship and early years
  		McLemore, John Roy and Willie Mae (Robinson) Family History From a digital scrapbook put together by Sharon McLemore Goforth detailing the families history, detailing Roy's lifelong passion for education
  		McLemore, John Roy and Willie Mae (Robinson) Family History From a digital scrapbook put together by Sharon McLemore Goforth detailing the families history, showing Roy and Babe with some of their children and grandchildren
  Headstones		McLemore, John Roy and Willie Mae Double headstone at Evergreen Cemetery, Paris, Lamar County, Texas
  Last Modified	23 Sep 2008
  Family ID	F1322	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 8 Jan 1896 - Erin, Jasper County, Texas Married - 27 Dec 1920 - Biardstown, Lamar County, Texas Died - 30 Apr 1961 - Paris, Lamar County, Texas Buried - - Evergreen Cemetery, Paris, Lamar County, Texas  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		McLemore, John Roy, World War I Roy served with the 90th Division in France during World War I, and wore the Purple Heart for injuries during that period.
  		McLemore, John Roy, Graduation Photo, ca 1920's Husband of Willie Mae Robinson B. 1896 D. 1961, Texas He attended Sam Houston State Teachers College, Huntsville, and later, East Texas State at Commerce, receiving his master's degree from the University of Texas, and the honorary LLD from Howard Payne College. He even studied for a time at the University of Dijon in France, after World War I service
  		McLemore, John Roy, President of Paris Junior College, Paris, Texas, ca 1950's Joining the faculty of the two year old college in 1926 as basketball coach and instructor, he became its head three years later, and guided its growth, from obscure quarters in Paris High School basement and a shoestring budget, to a million and a half dollar plant, and a high scholastic standing
  		McLemore, John Roy, ca 1950's Photo of Roy taken during his tenure as president of Paris Junior College

  
  

  Documents

  McLemore, John Roy Memorial articles published after Dr. Mac's death in 1961, on the eve of his retirement as President of Paris Junior College

  
  

  Headstones

  McLemore, John Roy, footstone Engraved to show his Military service during World War I, as a Private, First Class, Co. A, 358 Infantry

  
  

• Sources

  [S163] Kittell, Nan McCoy--Samuel McFarland McLemore and Descendants, Living Family History (Unpublished typescript ca. 1984, updated periodically). [S384] 1900 United States Federal Census [Ancestry.com database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004, (Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls. This database is an index to individuals enumerated in the 1900 United States Federal Census, the Twelfth Census of the United States. Census takers recorded many details including each person's name, address, relationship to the head of household, color or race, sex, month and year of birth, age at last birthday, marital status, number of years married, the total number of children born of the mother, the number of those children living, birthplace, birthplace of father and mother, if the individual was foreign born, the year of immigration and the number of years in the United States, the citizenship status of foreign-born individuals over age twenty-one, occupation, and more. Additionally, the names of those listed on the population schedule are linked to actual images of the 1900 Federal Census.), Texas, Jasper County, Pr. No. 3 Enumerated 26 Jun 1900 SD 8 ED 29 Sheets 21 B and 22A 356-359 (Reliability: 3).