Lucille Wilmeth McClung passed from us January 21, 2010 at her home in CARE Retirement Center in Brownwood.
Lucille was born December 8, 1917 to Jim and Callie Wilmeth of the Ebony Community in Mills County, Tx. Her Grandfather James R. Wilmeth Sr. had traded his 100 acres of rich black farmland in Collin Co. for 1500 acres of untamed land along the Colorado River in 1883 and settled with his family there in 1888. He was a farmer, scholar, preacher, teacher, and writer and the Wilmeth family were an integral part of the area. The Wilmeth children and grandchildren went through the two room school at Ebony, 3 miles from the Wilmeth home. As Ebony school had only nine grades; Lucille and her siblings boarded in Brownwood and went to Brownwood High School. All of the children went on to graduate from college. Lucille’s brothers Dutch and Gene, graduates of Texas A&M, gave their lives in World War II. Her parents moved into Brownwood and sold their portion of the Ebony Farm after the war.
Lucille was also preceded in death by siblings Dr. Marie Wilmeth, Ralph Wilmeth, and Bernice Taylor.
Lucille graduated from Abilene Christian College in 1938 and taught the first four grades in a two-room school in Cotton Flat, TX, as well as Spanish to older students. On April 7, 1939 she married fellow ACC student Paul McClung, a lifelong minister in the Church of Christ. The family served Churches of Christ in Justin, TX, Ardmore OK, Plainview TX, Lamesa TX, Wichita Falls, TX, Amarillo, TX, Ft. Worth, TX, Atoka OK, and Jacksboro, TX. After retirement in September 1983, Paul and Lucille moved into her parents’ old house on Norwood Street. Soon after, the 4th and Stewart St. Church of Christ in Brownwood needed a preacher and asked Paul to serve. He preached there for 16 ½ years until he retired again in April 2000. Paul and Lucille lived in the old Wilmeth house on Norwood St, until 2006, when they moved to CARE Retirement Center.
The McClungs have three children, Martha and her husband Neil Carroll of Comanche, Larry and his wife Gail of Irving, and Paul Wilmeth (deceased). They have six grandchildren, Celeste Carroll, Kevin Carroll and wife Kathy, Kent Carroll and wife Karey, and Kerry Carroll and wife Michele, Brian McClung and wife Cheni, and Lana Fain and husband Brian. They have six great grandchildren, Kason and Kastin Carroll, Taylor and Rylee Carroll, Luke McClung, and Eliot Fain.
Lucille says her three loves were being a preacher’s wife, teaching children’s Bible classes, and teaching World Bible School. Lucille taught children’s Bible classes until she was in her late 80’s. Lucille has been very active in supporting missionaries in Africa. Her influence as a teacher and ideal preacher’s wife are beyond measure.
The family requests that memorials be made in Lucille’s name to World Bible School, PO Box 2169, Cedar Park TX 78630-2169.
