by Arvord M. Abernethy

from The Hamilton Herald-News

22 March, 1990

In the 1940's, Dick Krueger and family moved from the Jonesboro community to our place and it was not long until he began talking about the fine teacher and coach they had at Jonesboro. I asked him his name and Dick said that it was P. T. Lemmons. I continued to hear good reports on Mr. Lemmons, but it has to be several years before I got to know him personally.

Recently, I had an enjoyable visit with Mr. and Mrs. Lemmons in their home here in Indian Oaks where they are retired after 50 years of teaching, 45 of them being spent at Jonesboro.

P. T. Lemmons was born to the A. M. Lemmons family in Pocohontas, Arkansas. In 1900, when he was about three months old, the family came to Texas, but returned to Arkansas not too long afterwards. When he was about 3 years old, the Lemmons again came to Texas and settled near Tolar.

At Tolar, he did all of his public school work and then entered Abilene Christian College where he got his B.A. degree; later getting his Master’s at Baylor.

On one of his trips home from college, he found that a fair young maiden by the name of Bess Moore, along with her parents had moved to Tolar from Energy. Things went well with the young couple, but with P. T. in college and no school teaching certificate yet, there were four years of courtship before they married in 1924.

Mr. Lemmons’ first teaching job was at a small school in Erath County where he taught for two years. Then he went to the Ewing school in Coryell County which has since been swallowed up by Fort Hood. Here he taught for three years before being called to Jonesboro in 1927, a position he held for 45 years. That should be a record in anybody’s book.

When he went to Jonesboro, the school was not accredited so he went as principal. He got the school accredited as soon as possible and then he became the superintendent. This title could be a misnomer as he acted as a teacher and the coach.

Mr. Lemmons acted as coach in the two schools he taught before coming to Jonesboro as he felt that was a good way to touch the lives of his pupils he not only touch their lives but won their respect and admiration. Most of his pupils have gone on to the sturdy, respectful citizens in their communities, some being doctors, lawyers, and teachers.

Mr. Lemmons credits much of his success as a school administrator to the cooperation of the parents which he called was 100 percent. He and Mrs. Lemmons have loved and been loved by the people of the communities where they served feeling that they were the "salt of the earth."

Mrs. Lemmons was not an employed teacher, but he looked to her as his "right hand man." She would teach when necessary, worked with the PTA, helped put out the annuals, and assisted in school programs and plays. The senior class would always have a class play that they would sometimes take to places like Evant or Turnersville. Often other schools would bring their plays to Jonesboro.

Now when the school bells begin ringing in September, Mr. Lemmons’ school spirit begins to flow through his being and he longs to be back in some small school where he can have personal contact with each pupil and challenge them to be the very best they are capable of reaching.

Many people remember Mr. Lemmons for the many fine basketball teams he produced. Of the 16 years that Jonesboro played in the district, they won district 15 times. They always won bi-district some, but because of lack of reserves, they were never winners of the regional. Mr. Lemmons did not keep a close record of the success of his basketball teams, but he estimates that over the years they won a thousand games and lost some one hundred. A fine success record.

Their son, Tommy Charles (Tom), teaches in Carter Riverside School in Fort Worth and finds it much different from the small school where his parents worked. It is even much different from what it was when he began teaching there several years ago, due to the many Asians and other foreign pupils in the school.

A highlight of their retirement days is when Jonesboro has its annual homecoming. He said that he might have to take a peek at the name tag on a person to recall their name, but there was always a feeling of close friendship. With 45 years of pleasant work in a community, they will always be home to them.

Their faithful worship at the Park Heights Church of Christ also adds to the contentment of their retirement years.

from The Hamilton Herald-News

13 April, 1995

P. T. Lemmons, 94, died Wednesday, April 5, at Forest Oaks Nursing Home in Hamilton.

Services were Saturday, April 8, at Jonesboro High School gymnasium with Jim Sullenger, Rev. Wesley Jones, Dr. J. W. Sellers and Dr. John Seelig officiating. Burial was in the Jonesboro Cemetery.

Mr. Lemmons was born Sept. 29, 1900, in Pocahontas, Ark., the son of A. M. Lemmons, a pioneer Church of Christ preacher, and his wife Martha. The family moved to Tolar when Mr. Lemmons was six months old.

A star athlete at Tolar High School, he went on to play college basketball at Abilene Christian College in the early 1920s. He received a B.A. degree from Abilene Christian College and an M.A. degree from Baylor University.

In 1922, he began a 50-year career in education in the Stephen Hill community of Erath County. In 1924 he married his high school sweetheart, Bess Moore, who preceded him in death in 1994, a few months shy of their 70th wedding anniversary.

After serving as coach and superintendent in Euing in what is now north Fort Hood, the Lemmons moved to Jonesboro in 1927. For 45 years, Mr. Lemmons coached and won more than 800 basketball games, a record surpassed by only a handful of coaches in Texas. During the ‘50s and ‘60s, his teams advanced to the Class B regional playoffs 16 out of 17 years.

As a superintendent, he helped lead the fight to preserve rural schools in Texas. As a teacher, he inspired several generations of students in English, literature, government, geometry, and history.

Following his retirement in 1972, the Lemmons moved to Hamilton where he continued to tutor students in math and history.

He was a member of Park Heights Church of Christ in Hamilton.

Survivors include a son, Tom Lemons...

Pallbearers were Maurice Campbell, Bill Dyer, Joe Lightsey, Jerrell Kitchens, Hayden Young, and Marvin Bramlett.

Memorials may be made to the P. T. Lemmons Scholarship Fund at Jonesboro High School.

Obituary

from The Hamilton Herald-News

3 February, 1994

Bess M. Lemmons, 89, of Hamilton, formerly of Jonesboro, died Jan. 25 at Harris Methodist Hospital in Stephenville after an extended illness.

Services were Thursday, Jan. 27, at Riley Funeral Home Chapel with Christ Frizzell, Jim Sullenger, and Dr. John Seelig officiating. Burial was in the Jonesboro Cemetery.

Mrs. Lemmons was born Feb. 26, 1904, in Energy, the daughter of John Charles and Minnie Tucker Moore. She and P. T. Lemmons were married Aug. 31, 1924.

She was a homemaker and a mother and a member of Park Heights Church of Christ.

Survivors include her husband, P. T. Lemmons of Hamilton; a son, Tom Lemmons....; and two sisters, Estelle Hufstetler of Lubbock, and Helen Enzie of Las Cruces, NM.

She was preceded in death by two brothers.

Pallbearers were Bert Schrank, Dale Caraway, Verner Gromatzky, Boyce Box, John Bales, and Grady Wilson.

Memorial donations may be made to the P. T. Lemons Scholarship fund at Jonesboro high School.

ACROSS THE FENCE