Messick, Lemuel E.

Submitted by Mike Miller

Lemuel E. Messick. Iberville Parish has had much to gain and nothing to lose in Connection with the splendidly constructive and progressive service which Mr. Messick has here given in his prolonged and loyal administration as superintendent of the public schools of the parish, an office which he has held consecutively since 1909, with official headquarters in the courthouse at Plaquemine, the judicial Center of the county.

Mr. Messick was born in Yadkin County, North Carolina, June 6, 1873, and is a scion of a family whose first American representatives came from England and made settlement in Delaware, in the early Colonial period of our national history. From Delaware George Messick, great-grandfather of the subject of this review, moved to North Carolina and settled in Yadkin County, where he continued to be successfully engaged in agricultural enterprise during the remainder of his life. In that county his son Nelson, grandfather of him whose name initiates this article, passed his entire life, his birth having there occurred in 1794, and his death in the year 1885. Nelson Messick was the owner of a large landed estate in his native county. The family name of his wife was Nicholson, and she likewise was a lifelong resident of North Carolina.

John Q. Messick was born in Yadkin County, North Carolina, in October, 1827, and there continued to maintain his home during the entire course of his long and worthy life, he having been a substantial representative of farm industry. At the inception of the Civil war his conscientious convictions led him to support the cause of the Federal Government, his loyalty being shown in his enlistment in a Union cavalry regiment formed in Tennessee, and he having served with this command from 1862 until the close of the war. He was thereafter a republican in national politics, but in local affairs of political significance he gave his support to men and measures meeting the approval of his judgment, irrespective of strict partisan lines. He was long affiliated with the Masonic fraternity. John Q. Messick married Mrs. Catherine (Ford) Harrison, who was born in Surrey County, North Carolina, in 184l, and she Preceded him to the life eternal by about one year, her death having occurred in March, 1915, and Mr. Messick having passed away in February, 1916. Of their children the first born was Luther, who died in childhood; Miss Cora still resides in Yadkin County; John died in boyhood; Sallie F.. who maintains her home at Jonesville, North Carolina, is the widow of Thomas Greenwood, he having been a prosperous farmer in Yadkin County at the time of his death; Houston B., who still resides in the old home county, devoted several years to teaching school, and has also been actively associated with mercantile business; Lemuel E., of this sketch, was the next in order of birth; and Robert V. owns and operates the old homestead farm, while his sister Cora has the supervision of the domestic and social department of the home.

In addition to profiting by the advantages of the public schools of his native county Lemuel E. Messick was for two years a student in the Yadkin Valley Institute, at Boonville. In 1904 he was graduated from Peabody College, Nashville, Tennessee, from which he received the degree of Bachelor of Science. He soon afterward came to Louisiana, and after having here served two years as principal of the high school at Winnsboro, Franklin Parish, he became principal of the high school at Statham, Georgia, where he remained during the school year of 1906-07. In the autumn of the latter year he assumed the position of principal of the Plaquemine High School, and he retained this post until January, 1909, when he was appointed to his present office, that of superintendent of the public schools of Iberville Parish, the high estimate placed upon his administration being shown in his successive reappointments in 1913, 1917 and 1921, and he was recently reappointed for four more years, or until 1929. Under the supervision of Superintendent Messick are fifteen schools for, white children and nineteen for colored. In the schools under his jurisdiction are seventy-one white and twenty-five colored teachers, all known for their ability, loyalty and effective service.

Mr. Messick is aligned with the cohorts of the democratic party, and he is a zealous member of the Presbyterian church at Plaquemine, as was also his wife, whose death occurred July 7, 1917. Of this church Mr. Messick is serving as treasurer at the time of this writing, in the spring of 1924. In the Masonic fraternity his ancient-craft affiliation is with Jonesville Lodge No. 227, A. F. and A. M., at Jonesville, North Carolina. In the City of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he has membership in Washington Chapter No. 57, R. A. M., and Plains Commandery No. 11, Knights Templars, while in the City of New Orleans he is a Noble of Jerusalem Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He is affiliated also with Plaquemine Lodge No. 1398, B. P. 0. E., and is an active and popular member of the Louisiana State Teachers' Association. He is the owner of real estate near the City of Baton Rouge and in Catahoula Parish. He is enthusiastically appreciative of the manifold attractions and advantages of Louisiana, and has identified himself most fully with the interests of this historic old commonwealth.

In the World war period he gave effective service in the drives in support of the Government war loan, Red Cross work, etc., aided in the making out of questionnaires, and made his personal financial contributions measure up to the full limit of his resources available for this purpose.

On Christmas day of the year 1912 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Messick and Miss Eddie Bass, daughter of the late John C. and Josephine Bass, Mr. Bass having been a successful cotton planter and having served several years as sheriff of East Carroll Parish, Louisiana. As previously noted, Mrs. Messick passed to the life eternal on the 7th of July, 1917, and she is not survived by children.

NOTE: The referenced source contains a black and white photograph of the subject with his/her autograph.

A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 233-234, by Henry E. Chambers. Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925.