WILLIAM EUGENE LACY

The following bio was taken from page 277 of the book entitled “Rusk County History” compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

 Transcribed by Shirley Koym

 Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Cemeteries of Texas

  William Eugene Lacy, son of Anna Steadley “Nannie” (1882-1956) and Eugene Lacy (1880-1961), was born November 22, 1911 in Henderson.  There were two other children in the family, Dorothy Eugenia and Griffin Gustave.  Eugene Lacy was the first Water Works Superintendent and Fire Marshall of Henderson, serving in that capacity until 1930.  Nannie’s parents, Emma Douglas (1853-1903) and Gustave Meyer (1850-1911), moved to Henderson in the 1870’s.  Eugene’s parents, Araminta Jane “Jennie” McAnulty (1855-1934)  and Griffin Ross Lacy  (1850-1889) were also early settlers in Henderson.

 While attending North Texas Agricultural College in 1929, William met Irene Coleman, who lived in Arlington.  Irene and William were married May 22, 1932.

 Irene Coleman was born in San Angelo, Texas.  Her father, William Henry Coleman (1881-1932) was born in Mayfield, Kentucky, and her mother, Mary Elizabeth West (1883-1952), was born in Meridian, Mississippi.  This couple met and married in San Angelo and moved to Arlington when Irene and her brother, William Henry, Jr., were small.

 William and Irene established their home in Henderson shortly after their wedding.  They have both participated in church and civic activities.  As active members of the First United Methodist Church, they have supported it with time and money.

 William is a member of the Masonic Lodge and is Past Master of the Clinton Lodge Number 23, a 32 Degree Mason, Scottish Rite, Shriner, and a Knight Templer.  He and Irene belong to the Order of the Eastern Star.  William was the Demolay Dad of the Masonic Fraternity for several years and Irene worked with the Rainbow Girls.  William served on the City of Henderson Council for three years, and he had charge of the Water Department.  Both have enjoyed many hours of fishing.  William also spends quite a bit of time hunting.  Irene enjoys playing bridge and oil painting.

 For thirty-three years, William and his father operated Eugene Lacy and Son Plumbing and Heating Company.  They did a great deal of work all over East Texas. . In 1965, William went to work for Smith Tank Company of Tyler, installing food tanks, pumps, and meters.  In order to take advantage of this type of work, the Lacy’s lived in a thirty-one foot Airstream trailer, which they moved from one job location to another by pulling it with a plumbing truck.  They lived in twenty-three states.

 One of the hardest such moves they ever made was in 1973.  William had just finished several big jobs in Washington State, and the next job was in Providence, Rhode Island.  Irene had a new car, with no CB, which made it very difficult for her to follow William while he was pulling the trailer.  All across the northern states it was especially hard for Irene to keep William in sight without following too close.  As they approached New York State, they had to go through toll stations and the tunnel under the Hudson River.  The traffic was very heavy.  At one toll station in New York City, they were told that Irene would have to travel the lower highway and William would have to travel the upper highway.  After much persuasion, Irene was allowed to follow William to their destination.  Due to this particular job situation, they have had opportunities to see many interesting places in the United States.

There are three children in the Lacy family:  Jack Ray, Ralph Craig, and Gail Elizabeth.  All three children attended school and church in Henderson as they grew to adulthood.  The Lacy’s are also very proud grandparents of ten grandchildren.

 Jack Ray Lacy, the oldest child, graduated from Texas University with a Master’s Degree in engineering.  He works in the Missiles and Space Department of Lockheed Aircraft in San Jose, California.  He travels to space centers around the United States to coordinate his work with that of other engineers.  His wife, Tommie Lou (Russell), teaches in San Jose.  Jack and Tommie have two children:  Dee Ann, who is a sophomore in Davis University in Northern California, and James Russell, who is a freshman in San Jose State University.

 Ralph Craig Lacy has his own plumbing company in Rockwall, Texas, which serves the area in and around Dallas.  Craig, like his Dad, likes to fish and hunt.  Craig married Linda Franks, and they have three children:  Laura Dianne, Donna Beth, and Jennifer Kay.  Craig later married Sue Holm, and they have one daughter, Keri Daurene.

 Gail Elizabeth Lacy graduated from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, where she majored in elementary education.  Gail married Frank Lee Still (1935-1981), and they lived in Carmel, California most of their married life.  Frank recently died of a heart attack.  Gail still lives in Carmel, where she teaches in a nursery school.  There are four children in this family.  The oldest, Carol Elizabeth married Michael Paul Manning, June 13, 1981.  Carol and Paul live in Denton, Texas where Paul is attending North Texas State.  The other children:  Carl Lee, Rachael Lynn, and Cynthia Kay.

 Submitted by Catherine Hughes Keeling