Tommie was the son of Thomas Henry Lefors and Margaret Maryann Jennings and grandson of John J. Lefors and Martha Jane Inglish. He grew up on his father's farm near the West Fork of the Trinity River. He had an older half brother, six older living sisters and a younger brother.
His father died in 1910 when Tommie was only seven years old. He learned the responsibilites of being the man of the house at a very young age. His schooling was interrupted as he felt the need to keep the farm in operation. Both Tommie and his brother, Emory, were still with their mother in 1920. His mother remarried in 1924 and Tommie left the farm to work in one of the first oilfields in the state near Seymour, Texas.
While working in the oil fields, Tommie met Lula Mae Wingo of Mankins, Texas. Tommie and Lula Mae were married on July 23, 1925, at the Baylor County Courthouse. During the next yearsTommie worked in oilfields in Northcentral Texas. Then he followed the East and South Texas oilfields. Two daughters were added to the family by 1929.
In 1930 they settled near New London, Texas. In the beginning they lived in a tent, like many oilfield families, but later bought a two room house and moved it onto an oil lease. Tommie used his many skills to enlarge the home as the family grew. Three more daughters were born to them between 1936 and 1945.
On March 18, 1937, Lula Mae and the youngest daughter at that time went to the school gymnasium to see the older girls in a PTA program. That was the day of the biggest school tragedy in the United States. The school district was using natural gas to heat the school. Because of a gas leak which was undetected by scent at that time, there was a build up of gas in the basement of the building. When a switch was turned off in the shop the gas was ignited and caused the main building to explode. There were approximately 300 children and adults killed that day at the London School. The Lefors family was blessed that no one in the family was killed. The eldest daughter had both of her pelvic bones fractured. The other daughter and some other children were so frightened they ran from the explosion and into some woods. The children eventually returned to the site of the explosion.
Tommie was a gentle, kind, sensitive, hard working man, who loved his family and always showed it. He loved having his family with him while the girls were growing up and when they came home with their own families. Tommie enjoyed fishing, hunting, gardening and family gatherings. He and his family were always active in the Methodist Church where he served as a stewart and could always be found passing out the bulletins on Sunday mornings.
Tommie was out checking his garden after a spring rain on April 24, 1973, when he died of a heart attack. The funeral was a tribute to a great man, who was well thought of in the community by both young and old. (PLD)
His father died in 1910 when Tommie was only seven years old. He learned the responsibilites of being the man of the house at a very young age. His schooling was interrupted as he felt the need to keep the farm in operation. Both Tommie and his brother, Emory, were still with their mother in 1920. His mother remarried in 1924 and Tommie left the farm to work in one of the first oilfields in the state near Seymour, Texas.
While working in the oil fields, Tommie met Lula Mae Wingo of Mankins, Texas. Tommie and Lula Mae were married on July 23, 1925, at the Baylor County Courthouse. During the next yearsTommie worked in oilfields in Northcentral Texas. Then he followed the East and South Texas oilfields. Two daughters were added to the family by 1929.
In 1930 they settled near New London, Texas. In the beginning they lived in a tent, like many oilfield families, but later bought a two room house and moved it onto an oil lease. Tommie used his many skills to enlarge the home as the family grew. Three more daughters were born to them between 1936 and 1945.
On March 18, 1937, Lula Mae and the youngest daughter at that time went to the school gymnasium to see the older girls in a PTA program. That was the day of the biggest school tragedy in the United States. The school district was using natural gas to heat the school. Because of a gas leak which was undetected by scent at that time, there was a build up of gas in the basement of the building. When a switch was turned off in the shop the gas was ignited and caused the main building to explode. There were approximately 300 children and adults killed that day at the London School. The Lefors family was blessed that no one in the family was killed. The eldest daughter had both of her pelvic bones fractured. The other daughter and some other children were so frightened they ran from the explosion and into some woods. The children eventually returned to the site of the explosion.
Tommie was a gentle, kind, sensitive, hard working man, who loved his family and always showed it. He loved having his family with him while the girls were growing up and when they came home with their own families. Tommie enjoyed fishing, hunting, gardening and family gatherings. He and his family were always active in the Methodist Church where he served as a stewart and could always be found passing out the bulletins on Sunday mornings.
Tommie was out checking his garden after a spring rain on April 24, 1973, when he died of a heart attack. The funeral was a tribute to a great man, who was well thought of in the community by both young and old. (PLD)
Tommie was the son of Thomas Henry Lefors and Margaret Maryann Jennings and grandson of John J. Lefors and Martha Jane Inglish. He grew up on his father's farm near the West Fork of the Trinity River. He had an older half brother, six older living sisters and a younger brother.
His father died in 1910 when Tommie was only seven years old. He learned the responsibilites of being the man of the house at a very young age. His schooling was interrupted as he felt the need to keep the farm in operation. Both Tommie and his brother, Emory, were still with their mother in 1920. His mother remarried in 1924 and Tommie left the farm to work in one of the first oilfields in the state near Seymour, Texas.
While working in the oil fields, Tommie met Lula Mae Wingo of Mankins, Texas. Tommie and Lula Mae were married on July 23, 1925, at the Baylor County Courthouse. During the next yearsTommie worked in oilfields in Northcentral Texas. Then he followed the East and South Texas oilfields. Two daughters were added to the family by 1929.
In 1930 they settled near New London, Texas. In the beginning they lived in a tent, like many oilfield families, but later bought a two room house and moved it onto an oil lease. Tommie used his many skills to enlarge the home as the family grew. Three more daughters were born to them between 1936 and 1945.
On March 18, 1937, Lula Mae and the youngest daughter at that time went to the school gymnasium to see the older girls in a PTA program. That was the day of the biggest school tragedy in the United States. The school district was using natural gas to heat the school. Because of a gas leak which was undetected by scent at that time, there was a build up of gas in the basement of the building. When a switch was turned off in the shop the gas was ignited and caused the main building to explode. There were approximately 300 children and adults killed that day at the London School. The Lefors family was blessed that no one in the family was killed. The eldest daughter had both of her pelvic bones fractured. The other daughter and some other children were so frightened they ran from the explosion and into some woods. The children eventually returned to the site of the explosion.
Tommie was a gentle, kind, sensitive, hard working man, who loved his family and always showed it. He loved having his family with him while the girls were growing up and when they came home with their own families. Tommie enjoyed fishing, hunting, gardening and family gatherings. He and his family were always active in the Methodist Church where he served as a stewart and could always be found passing out the bulletins on Sunday mornings.
Tommie was out checking his garden after a spring rain on April 24, 1973, when he died of a heart attack. The funeral was a tribute to a great man, who was well thought of in the community by both young and old. (PLD)
His father died in 1910 when Tommie was only seven years old. He learned the responsibilites of being the man of the house at a very young age. His schooling was interrupted as he felt the need to keep the farm in operation. Both Tommie and his brother, Emory, were still with their mother in 1920. His mother remarried in 1924 and Tommie left the farm to work in one of the first oilfields in the state near Seymour, Texas.
While working in the oil fields, Tommie met Lula Mae Wingo of Mankins, Texas. Tommie and Lula Mae were married on July 23, 1925, at the Baylor County Courthouse. During the next yearsTommie worked in oilfields in Northcentral Texas. Then he followed the East and South Texas oilfields. Two daughters were added to the family by 1929.
In 1930 they settled near New London, Texas. In the beginning they lived in a tent, like many oilfield families, but later bought a two room house and moved it onto an oil lease. Tommie used his many skills to enlarge the home as the family grew. Three more daughters were born to them between 1936 and 1945.
On March 18, 1937, Lula Mae and the youngest daughter at that time went to the school gymnasium to see the older girls in a PTA program. That was the day of the biggest school tragedy in the United States. The school district was using natural gas to heat the school. Because of a gas leak which was undetected by scent at that time, there was a build up of gas in the basement of the building. When a switch was turned off in the shop the gas was ignited and caused the main building to explode. There were approximately 300 children and adults killed that day at the London School. The Lefors family was blessed that no one in the family was killed. The eldest daughter had both of her pelvic bones fractured. The other daughter and some other children were so frightened they ran from the explosion and into some woods. The children eventually returned to the site of the explosion.
Tommie was a gentle, kind, sensitive, hard working man, who loved his family and always showed it. He loved having his family with him while the girls were growing up and when they came home with their own families. Tommie enjoyed fishing, hunting, gardening and family gatherings. He and his family were always active in the Methodist Church where he served as a stewart and could always be found passing out the bulletins on Sunday mornings.
Tommie was out checking his garden after a spring rain on April 24, 1973, when he died of a heart attack. The funeral was a tribute to a great man, who was well thought of in the community by both young and old. (PLD)
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Married 7/23/1925
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