Southampton-Nansemond County-Suffolk City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....McLemore, James L., 1954 

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JUDGE JAMES LATINUS McLEMORE 

JUDGE McLEMORE DIES IN SUFFOLK AT AGE OF 87 

   Suffolk, April 7 - Retired Circuit Court Judge James L. McLemore, 87, 
long a leading citizen of Suffolk, died today at his home here.  He had been 
in failing health for several years.

   A funeral service will be conducted tomorrow at 3 p.m. at the Main Street 
Methodist Church here.  Burial will be in Cedar Hill Cemetery.

   A native of Southampton County, he was appointed in 1907 to be judge of 
the Second Judicial Circuit of Virginia, which then included Norfolk City. 
He served on the bench 33 years until his retirement.

   Judge McLemore was one of the organizers and first president of the 
National Bank of Suffolk, known as the Bank of Suffolk at its inception. He 
served as president of the bank for over half a century, from 1899.

    From 1942 to 1946, he was vice-president of the National Screen Company 
of Suffolk.

   He formerly served on the Suffolk City Council and was active in church 
and civic affairs for many years. 

****************************************************************************** 

   Funeral services for Judge James L. McLemore, who died in Suffolk, 
yesterday.  Services will be conducted today at 3 p.m. at the Main Street 
Methodist Church in Suffolk with the Rev. George S. Lightner, pastor 
officiating.  Burial was in Cedar Hill Cemetery there.

   Judge McLemore was retired from the Second Judicial Circuit in 1940.  He 
had reached 87 years of age when he became seriously ill several days ago 
and failed to recover.

   Rave B. Knight, president of the Suffolk - Nansemond County Bar Association 
said Judge McLemore "was one of the greatest judges I have ever known."

   Even after his retirement from the judiciary, he continued a wide and deep 
interest in the business, religious and civic life of his community until 
about four years ago.

   He was highly respected in his profession for his sound legal knowledge and 
philosophy.  He was first appointed to the bench in 1907 by the then Gov. 
Claude L. Swanson.  From 1924 to 1928, he served in the Special Court of 
Appeals in Virginia.

   Judge McLemore was born in 1866 near Drewryville in Southampton County, a 
son of Benjamin Franklin McLemore and Ann Westbrook McLemore.  He was educated 
in the public schools of Southampton and studied at Randolph-Macon College 
prior to entering the University of Virginia for his law degree which he 
received in 1890.

   He practiced law in Franklin and Courtland from 1890 to 1896 and during 
that time served as a deputy under Joseph B. Prince, clerk of the court.  He 
then moved his law practice to Suffolk, and in 1899 he established the 
National Bank of Suffolk.  He was its president from the beginning and held 
that post 51 years.  At the time of his death he was its chairman of the board 
of directors.

   At college, he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa fraternity, and at the 
university he joined Sigma Chi social fraternity, the Jefferson Literary 
Society and the Raven Society.  In addition to his services as a banker, he 
was president of the Chamber of Commerce, member of the Suffolk city council 
and of the board of stewards of Main Street Methodist Church in that city.

    A member of the Men’s Bible Class of the Methodist Church for many years, 
that class recently changed its name to honor Judge McLemore, and it is now 
known as the James L. McLemore Bible Class.  He taught the Fellowship Bible 
Class for more than 30 years.

   He married Mary Willis Pretlow of Southampton County in 1898.  She died in 
1950, and two children of that union survive.  They are James L. McLemore Jr., 
an attorney of Suffolk, and Mrs. Mary Willis McLemore Matthews of Suffolk. 
There are five grandchildren.


Hon. James Latinus McLEMORE, retired Second Circuit judge, Suffolk councilman, 
founder, president & chairman of the board of the National Bank of Suffolk, 
b. 1866, near Drewryville, d. 7 Apr 1954, at home, Suffolk, age 87, 
interred in Cedar Hill Cemetery (Block F, Lot 81*), Suffolk, 8 Apr 1954, 
donated obit, publication unknown; 
"The Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), Apr. 8, 1954, pp. 1 & 8  

*Cedar Hill list, an extension of the Southampton County 
   Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/cemeteries/cedar_m.txt 

Additional information: 

James Latimus McLemore, 31, single, b. & res. Southampton Co., 
   s/o Benjamin Franklin and Rosa Ann Westbrook McLemore, Attorney
m. 04-21-1898 Methodist Church, Courtland, Va. by Rev. C.C. Wertenbaker
Mary Willis Pretlow, 24, s, single, b. & res. Southampton Co., 
   d/o Thomas Jefferson and Annie "Nannie" Eliza Massenburg Pretlow
(MB9:363; transcribed by Bruce Saunders: 
 http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/vitals/mb09pt.txt) 

His parents are buried in Riverside Cemetery, Courtland. 
   SCHS Cemetery Project, Riverside list (RS-E-12): 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/riverside.txt 

His father, a Confederate veteran, served as Southampton Co. Clerk of Court 
   for 22 years. 

His in-laws are buried in "Jerico" ("Beechwood") Cemetery. 
   SCHS Cemetery Project, Miscellaneous Cemeteries, Vol. 3 (MV-III-45): 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/miscvol3.txt 


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), 
and re-formatted by File Manager. 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/m245j2ob.txt