TALMADGE MERCER

 The following bio was taken from page 305 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

 Talmadge Mercer, the son of Jess and Annie Mae Mercer, was born and reared in the Forest Home Community, in Rusk County, Texas.  He worked on the family farm for many years.  As a child, he chopped and picked cotton, milked cows, cut wood, and did other chores that farm families find necessary.

 Talmadge was raised in the Baptist faith, as were most of the Mercer families.  At an early age he joined the Forst Home Church.  Young Mercer attended Hughey School for five years, then attended Kilgore schools.

 It was at school in Kilgore that Talmadge met and fell in love with Laverne Hill, daughter of J.D. and Ada Elizabeth Hill.  For two years Laverne was chosen the most beautiful in Kilgore High School.  Talmadge was seventeen and Laverne sixteen when they married.  They attended school for another year before Talmadge was drafted into military service and became a Marine.  Laverne finished her schooling while Talmadge served his country in the Pacific.

 Talmadge returned home in 1946 and he and Laverne built a small home and became parents of six children.  The children are: Pamela Jo, who was born in 1947 and is now a schoolteacher.  Pam married Jim McWilliams, who at this time serves as the State Representative of Rusk-Harrison Counties.  John Jeffrey was born in 1948 and is a farmer and timber company owner.  Jeff married Cherryl Jane Mankins of Kilgore.  Deborah Kay was born in 1950 and is a housewife.  Deborah married Morris Hollewell of Leveretts Chapel.  David Talmadge was born in 1955 and now works for Getty Oil Company, Bryan, Texas.  He married Martha King of Kilgore.

 During the years following the move to the old Mercer Home, a second family came along with Thomas Bryan in 1963 and Mary Elizabeth in 1965. Bryan attends Kilgore College and Mary is a junior in Kilgore High School.  Talmadge worked in oil fields and ran cattle.  In 1955 he went into business for himself as a building contractor and remained in this business until 1972 when he ran for County Commissioner and was elected.  He is still a Rusk County Commissioner and serves on the Executive Board of the East Texas Council of Governments.  He has just this year completed a term as Chairman of the Executive Board.  Talmadge is a well-known public official who is recognized for his interest in the well being and growth of Rusk County.

 Laverne is a teacher with the Kilgore School System.  Prior to her teaching career, she ran the family store until 1972, when she turned it over to Talmadge’s sister, Teony Still.

 Talmadge and Laverne’s home church is Forest Home, where he acted as building contractor in 1963.  Since 1885 Mercers have supervised on nearly all building projects at Forest Home Baptist Church.  Talmadge is a third generation Deacon of the Baptist Church and has been the Music Director for fifteen years.  Currently, the Mercers attend Highland Park Baptist Church in South Kilgore, where he is an active Deacon and has been Music Director since 1979.

 The Mercers enjoy their farm in Rusk County, and Talmadge still carried on some of the old-time practices of farming, raising cane, cooking syrup, cutting wood for the fireplace, and killing hogs on a cold day.

 All the Mercer children have been educated in the Kilgore Independent School District.  The Mercer family has been in Rusk County for more than 130 years and look forward to the future here.

 Submitted by Talmadge Mercer