Percy Lavell McLemore

1913 - 1991  (78 years)

• Name	Percy Lavell McLemore  [1, 2]
  Born	11 Jan 1913	Bronson, Sabine County, Texas   [1, 2]
  Gender	Male
  Died	30 Apr 1991	San Augustine County, Texas   [2]
  Buried	Liberty Hill Cemetery, Bland Lake, San Augustine County, Texas   [2]
  Notes	Vessie McLemore didn't see the importance of naming his children immediately after they were born. He was content to simply call them "baby" until a name seemed to fit. Percy remained Baby for several years, until his parents began to call him "Baby Percy" after a bottle of Patent Medicine popular at the time. His middle initial was shown as "C" on the 1920 census. Percy started helping his father on the ranch at a very young age. Evon remembers him going on a freight train with cattle to Kansas City, by himself, when he was only 14. He also became a rancher, as well as operating a cotton gin that had been his fathers. He also kept bees as a hobby.
  Person ID	I54	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	8 Jan 2021

  
  

  Father	Vessie Eugene McLemore,   b. 1 Feb 1885, Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas ,   d. 21 Jan 1952, San Augustine, San Augustine County, Texas  (Age 66 years)
  Mother	Nina Ophelia Fuller,   b. 15 Sep 1891, Rosevine, Sabine County, Texas ,   d. 8 Jul 1980, Lufkin, Angelina County, Texas  (Age 88 years)
  Married	7 Nov 1907	Many, Sabine Parish, Louisiana   [3]
  	Nina's mother died six months after Nina's Fifteenth birthday. As the oldest girl, and second of eight children, all the day to day household tasks of caring for their large family immediately fell to her. To make matters worse, Nina's father had relatives who had moved to the fertile lower Rio Grande Valley to farm. They encouraged him to move down there as well. He had made several trips down to visit them, and to inspect land. Nina was desperately afraid of leaving her beloved east Texas. About this same time, Nina met Vessie McLemore met at a church revival. They enjoyed each other's company, and began secretly corresponding with each other. Vessie soon proposed, and in November 1907, they snuck across the river to Many, Louisiana and eloped. Nina had turned sixteen years old not quite two months earlier. Nina told her granddaughter, Melinda, that she and Vessie had only seen each other twice in person before their marriage. A photo exists that appears to be their wedding picture. Vessie is wearing a dark suit with a white shirt and white bow tie, and Nina in a white dress, with a large flower in her hair. Witnesses at their wedding were, H. E. White, presumably Henry Ernest White--Vessie's first cousin-- and A. McGown [likely either Albert or Andrew McGown, brothers who lived nearby the young couple in Geneva, Texas]. The license was filed for record on 14 July 1908 in Volume 3, Page 272 of the Marriage Records of Sabine Parish, Louisiana by W. E. McNuly, clerk, oper J. J. McNuly, Deputy. Joe Fuller was not pleased with his daughters elopement. For at least several months after their wedding, the young couple avoided him. Rumors abounded that he might shoot Vessie on sight. Jan Tisdale, another granddaughter, remembers similar stories. Jan said that Nina's younger sisters were especially saddened by the hasty marriage. They lost both their mother and older sister in less than a year. Written by Melinda McLemore Strong, granddaughter, circa 1995 and revised periodically
  Documents		Fuller, Nina Ophelia marriage to Vessie E. McLemore, Many, Louisiana, 1907 Nina and Vessie eloped in Many, Louisiana, just across the state line from Sabine County, Texas, where they both grew up
  Family ID	F11	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Elma Callie Smith,   b. 14 Mar 1914, San Augustine County, Texas ,   d. 23 Oct 2001, San Augustine County, Texas  (Age 87 years)
  Married	19 Apr 1936	San Augustine County, Texas   [2]
  Children	1. Living   2. Living
  Documents		McLemore, Percy and Elma (Smith) Golden Wedding Anniversary Announcement, 1986
  Last Modified	20 Nov 2012
  Family ID	F53	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Born - 11 Jan 1913 - Bronson, Sabine County, Texas Married - 19 Apr 1936 - San Augustine County, Texas Died - 30 Apr 1991 - San Augustine County, Texas Buried - - Liberty Hill Cemetery, Bland Lake, San Augustine County, Texas  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		McLemore, Percy ca 1919 with Evon and Earl The three eldest children of Vessie and Nina McLemore
  		McLemore, Percy ca 1920, with Evon, Earl and Ray The four oldest of the McLemore siblings, children of Nina (Fuller) and Vessie McLemore, ca 1920, Sabine County, Texas
  		McLemore, Percy ca 1933 Husband of Elma Callie Smith B. 1913 D. 1991 Texas
  		_McLemore, Percy Lavell ca 1933 Husband of Elma Callie Smith B. 1913 D. 1991 Texas McLemore, Percy Lavell ca 1923
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
  		McLemore, Percy ca 1985 with Evon, Earl, Ray, Tom and Lynn The McLemore Siblings, Children of Nina Fuller and Vessie McLemore, October, 1985 Family Reunion at the Tisdale Lake House l to r: Percy, Evon, Earl, Ray, Tom and Lynn
  		McLemore, Vessie and Nina Family Reunion, October 1985, Broaddus, Texas l to r: Samantha Weimmer, Nina Ross (McLemore) Weimmer, Velta (Rawson) McLemore, Evelyn (McLemore) Sanders, Fred Sanders (kneeling), Evon (McLemore) Tisdale, Missy McLemore (Seated) with Lee Jay Rawcliffe on her knee, Melinda (McLemore) Strong, Tom Strong, Earl McLemore, Cassandra Weimmer, Lynn McLemore, Elma (Smith) McLemore, Percy McLemore, Dale Tisdale (facing left), Ray McLemore, Opal (Hensarling) McLemore, Tom McLemore

  
  

• Sources

  [S675] Strong, Melinda (McLemore) and Tisdale, Evon (McLemore): McLemore Reunion, Broaddus, Texas October 1985: Family Group Sheets prepared by each family and Personal Interview. [S873] Find A Grave [database online]; http://www.findagrave.com/, (Thousands of contributors submit new listings, updates, corrections, photographs and virtual flowers every hour to the FIND A GRAVE website. When it comes to administrating, building and maintaining the site, Find A Grave is largely operated by its founder, Jim Tipton.), # 86299794 (Reliability: 3). [S382] State of Louisiana, Parish of Sabine, Marriage License.