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Theda Mae McRae LeMeilleur
KERRVILLE — Theda Mae McRae LeMeilleur moved from this earthly existence into the presence of her Savior, Jesus Christ, on July 29, 2009, at a local hospital.
She was born on Dec. 19, 1917, in Cameron, Texas, and began an adventure through this life that would make an interesting book.
She and her younger sister, Winnie, spent most of their elementary and junior high school years at various Catholic boarding schools. During the summers, they put their dancing and music lessons to work as they traveled with their parents, Winifred and Charles McRae, their younger sister, Patricia, their grandfather and others throughout the Southwestern United States putting on medicine shows to promote the sale of McRae’s XXX Tonic. Her parents eventually moved to San Antonio, where she finished high school at Thomas Jefferson High School. She graduated from Draughon’s Business College and worked as a bookkeeper for a millinery shop on Houston street in downtown San Antonio.
As a result of some matchmaking by her sister, Winnie, and future sister-in-law, Bonnie LeMeilleur Kershner, she met the love of her life, Coy LeMeilleur Sr. They were married on Dec. 25, 1937, in San Antonio, Texas, and she moved to West Texas, where Coy had moved with most of his family in order to get work in the booming oil industry and play baseball on an oil company’s semi-pro baseball team. They lived in various oil camp towns but primarily in Iraan and Texon. While in Texon, she helped Coy operate a dairy farm. On their trips back to San Antonio to visit family and friends, they often drove through Kerrville and liked what they saw.
In 1945, they moved to Kerrville to purchase a business known as the West End Grocery. Coy’s brother, Ray LeMeilleur, moved to Kerrville shortly thereafter with his family and, together, Coy and Ray operated the grocery store and service station located in the small rock building at 620 Junction Highway, which was then the western edge of Kerrville.
Over the years, she made a loving home for Coy and their eight children while still continuing to help Coy in his various business enterprises, which included operating a dairy farm for almost 20 years on the farm where the First United Methodist Church and the new Peterson Regional Medical Center are now located and running the grocery store and station that over the years evolved into what is now LeMeilleur’s RV Center and the family’s informal “day care center.” She continued to be the heart of this business where, until her death, she went each day to care for children, greet customers, answer the telephone and do the bookkeeping and the crossword puzzles.
She was a blessing to all who came in contact with her, but her testimony was that she was the one who was blessed. Some of her favorite expressions were “The Lord is faithful” and “The Lord’s been good to me.” When asked by a grandchild what the most memorable event in her life was, she said that it was when she realized as a young woman that she needed Jesus Christ and received him as her Savior. Her faith was complete and unwavering, and her life was a tribute to Christ, who lived in her and loved through her.
She is survived by her sister, Winnie McRae McIver of Arlington, Texas; sister-in-law, Louise LeMeilleur of Kerrville, Texas; brother-in-law, Ralph Morris of Mabelvale, Ark.; and her children, Coy LeMeilleur Jr. and wife, Beth, Craig LeMeilleur, Lance LeMeilleur, Lynn LeMeilleur Leonard, Andree LeMeilleur Hayes and husband, Jim (also of Skekou, Shenzhen, China), Mark LeMeilleur, Denise LeMeilleur Enloe and husband, Frankie, and Shawn LeMeilleur, all of Kerrville, Texas. Grandchildren surviving are Dawn LeMeilleur Large and husband, Shane, of Montgomery, Texas, Coy LeMeilleur III and wife, Rachel, of Houston, Texas, Aaron LeMeilleur of Kerrville, Texas, Aimee LeMeilleur Ryan and husband, Wayne, of Harper, Texas, Adrienne LeMeilleur Robinson and husband, John, of Kerrville, Texas, Payson LeMeilleur of Newport Coast, Calif., Chance LeMeilleur of Kerrville, Texas, Levi Hayes and wife, Jennifer, of San Marcos, Texas, Tyler Hayes and fiancee, Julie, of Austin, Texas, Creed Hayes of Fort Worth, Texas, and Lynde-Zane Hayes, Hannah LeMeilleur, Zayne LeMeilleur, John Enloe, Tanner Enloe, Andreelynn Enloe and Jackson Enloe, all of Kerrville, Texas. She also is survived by great-grandchildren, Blair Large O’Connor and husband, Clayton, Coby Large, Tobyn Large, Reagan Large, Shelbi LeMeilleur, Kendall LeMeilleur, Mason Ryan, Cooper Ryan, Michael Robinson, Jorden Robinson and Kamryn Robinson. Also surviving are Rita LeMeilleur, many beloved nieces and nephews, their children and grandchildren, stepgrandchildren and their families.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Winifred and Charles McRae; husband, Coy LeMeilleur Sr.; sister, Patricia Morris; granddaughter, Nikki LeMeilleur; daughter-in-law, Sandra LeMeilleur; and son-in-law, Jesse Leonard.
A memorial service celebrating her faith and life will be at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009, at First Baptist Church in Kerrville, Texas, where she was a church member.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the charity of one’s choice or The First Baptist Church Mission Offering.
The family invites you to send condolences at www.grimesfuneralchapels.com by selecting the “Send Condolences” link.
Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Grimes Funeral Chapels of Kerrville.
Published August 15, 2009
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