T. F. LEMLEY
Among the native sons of Lucas county who have gained
well deserved success in business is numbered T. F. Lemley,
operating a large garage in Russell. He was born in Washington township,
October 8, 1876, and is a son of Jacob and Margaret (Bell)
Lemley, the former a native of Greene county, Pennsylvania,
and the latter of Virginia.
They came as pioneers to Washington township, making
the journey overland and arriving in Lucas county when it was
an unbroken prairie and Keokuk was the nearest trading center. Both have passed
away, the father dying in Russell in 1907, at the age of
seventy-four, and the mother in the same city in 1880, when
she was forty-six years of age.
There were nine children born to this union: L. D. of Russell;
Mrs. Rachel Long of Idaho; Elizabeth Morgan of Forest Grove,
Oregon; Mrs. Rue Anderson of Washington; Lizzie Pierce of
Greeley, Colorado; Mrs. Anna Warner of Missoula, Montana;
Peter Lemley of Rapid City, South Dakota; Mrs. Dora Clodfelter
of Wasco, Oregon; and T. F., of this review. After the death of
his first wife Jacob Lemley married again and to the second
union were born five children, as follows: Minnie, who married
a Mr. Hillier, who resides in Minnesota; Mrs. Margaret Stewart
of Lucas county, Iowa; Bertha, who resides in Lucas county and
who is a teacher; Francis and Fern, both of whom live in Lucas
county.
T. F. Lemley grew to manhood in Washington township
acquiring his education in the public schools and in Chariton
Academy, which he attended for two years. After laying aside
his books he followed farming for a number of years,
accumulating two hundred acres of choice land in Washington
township and two hundred acres in Monroe county. These farms he
operated until 1910 and then moved to Russell and opened a
garage, selling the Ford and Rambler automobiles. In addition to this
he does general automobile repairing and has built up an
extensive and profitable business. He still has valuable holdings in
farming lands in this vicinity and has secured a comfortable
competency.
Mr. Lemley is an independent democrat in his political
beliefs and fraternally is connected with the local lodge of
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. A young man of
energy, resource and ambition, he has become very successful
in his business affairs and his future will undoubtedly be
marked by continued and rapid progress.