DR. A.O. MENEFEE

 The following bio was taken from page 302 of the book entitled “Rusk County History” compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

 Transcribed by Claudia Schuster

 Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Rusk County TX Coordinator

 The Menefee family of England were noted people, scholarly and literary in taste. 

The first of the Menefees to come to America was George, who came from Devon, England to Jamestown, Virginia.  He was a lawyer and was a member of the House of Burgesses.  It was from this line of Menefees that William Tatum Menefee of Chambers County, Alabama met and married Susannah Webb (1843-1874) at Auburn, Alabama.  Susannah (Sue) Webb was a Culberson.  The Culbersons immigrated from Scotland to County Derry near Londonderry, Ireland and then came to America from Ireland.

 Melvina Amanda Culberson, grandmother of Dr. A.O.Menefee, was a sister of David B. Culberson, a long-time member of the United States Congress as a Senator from Texas.  His son, Charles A. Culberson, was born in Dadeville, Alabama.  He was educated at the Virginia Military Institute and the University of Virginia.  He was elected Attorney General of Texas in 1890 when he was only thirty-five years of age.  He was elected Governor of Texas at the age of thirty-nine.  He was in the United States Senate for twenty-four years until his death.

Melvina Amanda Culberson married George Washington Webb, who was born in Virginia in 1804, and died in Tallapoosa County, Alabama in 1854.  (These dates are taken from the tombstone in private ground in Lee County.)  Their third child was Susannah Webb (Sue), mother of Dr. A.O. Menefee.

 Susannah Webb married Tatum Menefee of Chambers County, Alabama in 1843, at Auburn, Alabama.  Their children: Dr. A.O. Menefee, born March 11, 1865 and died in 1942; Sallie Lou Menefee (Harris), 1866; Willie Knox Menefee, (1873-1947); Phala Menefee (Derby), 1868; Seban Menefee (Garrett), (1872-1890).

 This account is given in “The Realm of Rusk County” by Garland Farmer: “After the Civil War, Tatum Menefee moved his family to Harmony Hill, Texas.  His son, A.O. Menefee received his M.D. Degree at Tulane University in New Orleans.   Dr. Menefee took up the practice of medicine in Rusk County where he was to make a wide and favorable reputation for himself and render a great service to mankind.  On February 12, 1891, he was married to Miss Effie Gladney, daughter of one of the prominent couples of the Harmony Hill Community, Mr. and Mrs. W.M. and Belle Gladney.  Harmony Hill was one of the leading communities in those days.”

 Dr. Menefee’s bride was not a stranger to the medical profession, for she was a niece of Dr. A.G. Shaw, long a well-known doctor of Harmony Hill, and also a niece of Dr. A.M. Gladney, a prominent physician of Terrell, Texas for many years.  Dr. and Mrs. Menefee were married by a widely known pioneer minister of the Presbyterian Church, Reverend Knox, which Dr. Menefee served as an elder for many years.

 In addition to his profession and his service to the church, Dr. Menefee also gave liberally of his time, ability, and funds to many public activities, being the first Mayor of Tatum and president of the bank there for a number of years.

 Dr. Menefee was known and loved by Rusk County people for his unselfish service to his patients and devotion to his own family.

 The unsung heroes of yesteryear were the family physicians.  They observed no office hours and did not confine their knowledge and training to any specialized disease.  Theirs was the unstinted service to all.  Often they knew in advance that they would probably receive no pay for their errand of mercy.  Typical and representative of that time and profession was Dr. Menefee.  He served the people in many capacities for fifty-two years, until his death June 12, 1942.

 In the early days of his profession, when there were few or no roads, Dr. Menefee took a special delight in the fine spirited horses he always owned and used.  Later he was one of the first in Rusk County to use an automobile to serve his people.

 Dr. and Mrs. Menefee had three daughters and two sons.  Their first daughter, Minnie Belle Menefee, attended Wesley College in Terrell and married R.E. (Dock) Young, who served as commissioner of Precinct No. 2, Rusk County for sixteen years.  The Youngs had two daughters.  Mary Effie, who married Curtis R. Smith, taught in Tatum and retired after teaching thirty-one years.  Curtis taught in Tatum and retired after teaching thirty-two years and also served as Postmaster in Tatum for seventeen years.  They have three sons: Larry, who married Nancy Ross and works for the Texas Utilities Company; Ross Menefee, attorney with Exxon Company in Houston; and James Robert (Jim Bob), who works for Charles Hudson Company in Houston.  Larry and Nancy have three children: Susan (Suzy), Tate Ross and Curt Young.  The other daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R.E. Young is Margaret Ann, who is married to Francis James Murray, native of  Ambridge, Pennsylvania, now retired from H.K. Ferguson Company.  Mrs. Murray is now a teacher at Montgomery Elementary School, Henderson.

 The second daughter of Dr. and Mrs. A.O. Menefee, Grace Menefee, graduated from Henderson High School and attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas.  She was married to Malcolm G. Young, brother of R.E. Young.  They owned and operated the telephone company at Tatum.  At the death of her husband, Grace and her family continued to operate the telephone company.  It was the first telephone company in Rusk County to convert to the dial system.

 Grace and Malcolm (Mack) had seven children.  Their daughter, Mary Katherine, married Joe Lewis Gray, owner of Gray Finance and a pulpwood yard in Gary.  They have one son, Stephen, who finished at the University of Texas.  Stephan  is a CPA and works for Aurora Energy Funds at Houston, Texas.  He is married to Cynthia Mothershed, a teacher in Houston.  Cynthia has her master’s degree from the University of Mississippi.

 The second daughter, Effie Gladney, married Grady G. Downs, owner of G.G. Downs Pulpwood Company in Tatum.  They have one daughter, Susan Elaine, whose twin brother, Albert Oliver died at birth.  Susan teaches second grade in the Tatum Schools, and she has her Master’s from Stephen F. Austin University. Susan is married to James Harold Lewis from Henderson, Texas, a graduate of Texas A & M, who is employed by Pritchard and Abbott in Marshall

 Malcolm, Jr. (Mack) married Margie Allen.  He is overseer of the Menefee and Young estates.  He is also a cattleman.  Margie is employed by King Tool in Longview, Texas.

 Helen Sue  married Frank Griffin and they have two sons.  Don, a Baptist minister, is married to Ora Beth Clay of Dallas, Texas.  Don finished college at  Tennessee Baptist College in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  They have two children, Ruth and John.  The second son, Gerald, married Tammy Box from Desoto, Texas.  Gerald teaches at Baptist College in Desoto.  He has his degree from Tennessee Baptist College in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

 Helen had a twin brother, William Travis, who died at the age of eighteen months.

 James married Corrine Cherry.  James owns and operates an Exxon Station in Tatum.  Corrine is a history teacher in the Tatum school system.  They have one daughter, Catherine Ann, who is married to Neal Johnson.  They attend school at the University of Texas in Austin.

 Jack married Tommie Jo Belote.  Jack is manager of the Tatum Telephone Company.  The company is owned by the Mack and Grace Young Estate.  Tommie Jo is also employed by the company.  Jack and Tommie Jo have one daughter, Natalie, who is a student at the University of Texas at Austin.

 Grace was a very devoted mother, a good neighbor, and a capable business woman.

 Both Grace and Minnie’s husbands were sons of another well-known couple of Rusk County for many years, the late R.T. and Willie Robinson Young of Tatum.

 Willie Tate Menefee, one of the sons of Dr. and Mrs. A.O. Menefee, passed away in 1924, was connected with the Tatum State Bank for several years, and later with a Dallas Bank.  The other son, Albert Olin Menefee, who passed away in 1938, handled leases and royalties, looked after extensive farming and livestock interests and was a Tatum merchant.

 Standing tall and stately in the quaint little town of Tatum is the beautiful colonial family home of the late Dr. A.O. Menefee.  One has only to gaze upon this home to know that within its walls have been love and laughter and gracious living.  Agnes Menefee, the youngest child of the family of Dr. A.O. Menefee, continues to reside in the home.  Agnes Menefee is a gracious lady.  Life has touched her gently, shaping her for her role of mistress of the “Big House”.  Because of their sweet spirit, her love, and her concern for her family, the home continues to be the center of life for all the members of the family.

 Agnes is loved and respected throughout the community.  All, who know her, regardless of race, look upon her as one to whom they may go in joy or in sorrow, knowing that her help will meet their every need.

 Perhaps the greatest impact of the influence of Agnes is that which is felt by the many pupils whom she taught.  Yes, Agnes was a teacher in the truest sense of the word.  She was a teacher of mathematics in Marshall Senior High School, in Henderson, in Tatum.  Her interest in her work, her loyalty to the school – to its program and its administration and her sincere interest in her pupils – were impeccable.  Quick to respond willingly and effectively to the demands of special assignment s to assure the smooth operation of the school, Agnes was, nevertheless, never too busy to assist a child who was in need of help or counseling.  When anyone entered her room he was immediately aware of an atmosphere conducive to learning, love and respect to her were shown by the attitude of the pupils toward her.  Understanding and acceptance by her of each pupil on his own level of achievement invariable resulted in a pupil’s best efforts.  Yes, Agnes was indeed a teacher by every connotation of the word.  One fact is clear, so very clear about Agnes Menefee, during all the years which lie ahead, all of those whose lives were touched by her, all who know and love her, call her blessed.

 Following the death of his first wife, Dr. Menefee married Miss Anna Vinson, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. J.B. Vinson.  She was a well-known resident of Tatum for many years and a member of the Christian Church.  She passed away in 1940.

 Dr. Menefee had an only brother, Willis Knox, who attended Southwestern University at Georgetown and was one of the early educators of Rusk County.  He was the developer of Crystal Farms.  Willie Knox Menefee and Jeff Harris organized and built the first church in Tatum.  He was married to the only sister of Dr. Menefee’s wife, Miss Minnie Gladney.

 Mr. and Mrs. W.K. Menefee had two daughters: Christine, who was married to Pat Dolan (now deceased) and they had one son, Pat Jr., who graduated from Texas A & M. Pat was vice–president of McCormick Oil Company.  He passed away at the age of forty-seven in 1981.  The other daughter, Gladney, was married to the late Eulen Berry of Lufkin.

 Following the death of the first wife, the late Willie Knox Menefee married Miss Mable Eden.  Now she is living in Dallas.  They have one daughter, Billie Francis, who is married to Bob Ramsey of Dallas, Texas.

 Dr. A.O. Menefee left a record seldom equaled by a physician of fifty-two years of service to mankind.  His memory still is revered by hundreds of friends and patients.

 Submitted by Margaret Y. Murray