Vessie Earl McLemore

1916 - 1997  (80 years)

• Name	Vessie Earl McLemore  [1, 2, 3]
  Birth	12 Sep 1916	Bronson, Sabine County, Texas   [1, 3]
  Gender	Male
  Death	30 Apr 1997	Lufkin, Angelina County, Texas   [2, 3]
  Burial	2 May 1997	Thomas Cemetery, San Augustine County, Texas   [2, 3]
  Notes	As a young man, Earl and his brother Ray helped manage their father's ranch in Pearsall. Evon recalls a terrible drought at that ranch one summer. Her brothers told her that they had to use a blowtorch on cactuses to get enough water for the cattle. He has a military marker at his gravesite "PFC, US Army WW II" When he was shipped oversees during the war, he and Evon worked out a code so his family would know where he was stationed, because all correspondence was heavily censored. The first letter he sent to Evon was addressed to Mrs. R.O. Tisdale. The next letter, to Mrs. M.E. Tisdale. She knew he must therefore be in Rome. He was later moved elsewhere in Italy, but Evon said she never was able to figure out where because some of the letters came out of sequence, and others never made it home at all. The Sabine County Reporter May 21, 1997, page 12 Earl McLemore Earl McLemore, 80, of San Augustine County died Wednesday, April 30, 1997, at Memorial Medical Center of East Texas in Lufkin McLemore was born Sept. 12, 1916, in Sabine County as a son of the late Nina (Fuller) and Vessie Eugene McLemore. He was a U. S. Air Force veteran of World War II, a farmer/rancher, and a member of the Rosevine Church of God. Survivors: wife, Velta McLemore of San Augustine County, sons, Donald McLemore of Woodland and Bruce McLemore of Tarkington Prairie; a daughter, Nina Weimer of Spring; two brothers, Lynn McLemore of San Augustine and Tommy McLemore of Houston; a sister, Evon McLemore of Lufkin; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Funeral services were held May 2 at the Wyman Roberts Funeral Chapel in San Augustine. Interment followed at Thomas Cemetery, San Augustine. Earl's oldest son Donald wrote the following article about his father for his company newsletter shortly after his father's funeral: In Memory of My Dad I remember the lessons well because they were taught without compromise, a deep sense of right and wrong and what was best for his family. Those lessons were sometimes harsh and hard for us kids to understand so we sometimes did the exact opposite from what Dad wanted. Now as I look back, I can see that may of those lessons took root regardless of what we did then. Dad was born September 17, 1916 into a family of five boys and one girl. His mom and dad were farmers/ranchers, not poor but certainly not rich. I was born in 1940 just after the Great Depression and I know the defining effect that period of time had on everyone. People that endured the depression were so afraid of not having enough that they saved every penny and did without things that we would not think twice about buying today. Due to that experience and the intense drive to be successful, the McLemores developed the reputation of being extremely tight with money and that lesson was passed on to their kids as independence. "With money you can be independent and not have to depend on your family or the government for support." I always said money would not be important to me. However, I see that same independent driven trait in every one of the McLemores today to some extent. MBM has been in existence for almost twenty seven years. In all those years, I have come in contact with thousands of people, both rich and poor who did not have parents like we were lucky enough to have. They taught us the values that made this country great. I remember Dad's mom (Nina Fuller) saying in front of me one day when Dad was perplexed and seeking advice on how to handle a difficult situation "Earl, regardless of what he does or says it doesn't give you the right to do what is wrong." That phrase along with many others gave our lives direction, focus and nutured the development of character. What is amazing to me now is that it took me until I was in my mid thirties to begin to realize how fortunate my siblings and I were for having learned those lessons. Dad had four major heart attacks over a three and a half year period. Someone like myself would not have survived the first one. Less than ten percent of his heart still functioned when it finally quit working forever and yet he still did what he loved to do the most and that was to work. "An idle mind is the devils workshop" he used to tell mom when she thought he was working too hard. When word got out that Dad had gone on to meet his Maker, people from everywhere responded with cards, flowers, phone calls, donations, food and words of comfort to the family. My goal will be to try to pass on those I come into contact with a little part of my Dad.
  Person ID	I56	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	17 Aug 2014

  
  

  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)
  Marriage	7 Nov 1907	Many, Sabine Parish, Louisiana   [4]
  	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	Velta Alnettie Rawson,   b. 20 Sep 1917, Denning Community, San Augustine County, Texas d. 20 Nov 2002, Center, Shelby County, Texas (Age 85 years)
  Marriage	27 Aug 1938	San Augustine, San Augustine County, Texas   [1]
  	THOMAS CEMETERY, San Augustine County, Texas Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/tx/txfiles.htm Recorded May 13, 2006, by Bobby E. Britnell (bbritnell@centurytel.net and sister, Sandra G. Britnell. Thomas Cemetery is another of the many old cemeteries in San Augustine County, with burials dating from the mid-1800's. The cemetery is clean and well-kept, and still in use for burials. Hurricane Rita had downed some trees and limbs and caused some headstone damage; all that has been completely cleaned up. There are a number of broken headstones, some missing stones, and some with deteriorated and unreadable native stone markers. DIRECTIONS: From San Augustine, at the junction of US96 and SR21, go west toward Nacogdoches on SR21 about 5 miles to CR274 on the left; there is a sign on the right side for Thomas Cemetery. Turn left and go a very short distance to the cemetery on the right. (CR274 is a narrow dirt road). McLEMORE (Double headstone) Vessie Earl; b. Sept 12, 1916; d. Apr 30, 1997. Pfc US Army WWII Velta Rawson; b. Sept 20, 1917; d. Nov 20, 2002 McLEMORE, Wanda Kaye; b. June 17, 1955; d. March 28, 1974
  Children	1. Donald Earl McLemore,   b. 26 Jan 1940, San Augustine, San Augustine County, Texas d. 7 Sep 2016, North Zulch, Madison County, Texas (Age 76 years)   2. Living   3. Wanda Kaye McLemore,   b. 17 Jun 1955, San Augustine, San Augustine County, Texas d. 28 Mar 1974, Lamarque, Galveston County, Texas (Age 18 years)   4. Edward Bruce McLemore,   b. 28 Nov 1956, San Augustine, San Augustine County, Texas d. 16 Mar 2011, San Augustine, San Augustine County, Texas (Age 54 years)
  Family ID	F55	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	27 Feb 2011

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 12 Sep 1916 - Bronson, Sabine County, Texas Marriage - 27 Aug 1938 - San Augustine, San Augustine County, Texas Death - 30 Apr 1997 - Lufkin, Angelina County, Texas Burial - 2 May 1997 - Thomas Cemetery, 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, Earl Thought to be photo postcard of Earl as a Baby, taken in Sabine County, Texas, probably when he was six to nine months old. It is possible, however, that this is instead a photo of one of his older brothers (Percy or Ray). PLEASE HELP US VERIFY WHICH McLEMORE BROTHER THIS IS.
  		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, Ray ca 1922 with his brother Earl Ray (l) and Earl (r)
  		McLemore, Earl ca 1940's Earl, left, with an unknown Army buddy. He was stationed in Italy during World War II.
  		_McLemore, Earl Husband of Velta Rawson B. 1916 D. 1997, Texas
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
  		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
  		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

  
  

• 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. [S336] The Sabine County Reporter, P.O. Box 700, Hemphill, Texas (Published Weekly), (Founded in 1883, The Sabine County Reporter (USPS 474-660) is published once a week on Wednesday. The Reporter is Published by Sabine County Reporter, Inc. Postmaster: Send change of address to P.O. Box 700, Hemphill, Texas 75948-0700. The Sabine County Reporter and The Rambler merged March 1, 1988. Member National Newspaper Association and Texas Press Association.), May 21, 1997, page 12 (Reliability: 3). [S1716] Website "Cemeteries-of-tx.com" East Texas, San Augustine, Thomas Cemetery, (http://www.cemeteries-of-tx.com/Etx/SanAugustine/cemetery/Thomas.htm). [S382] State of Louisiana, Parish of Sabine, Marriage License.