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Vera Loree
Meek Wimberly
Charter Member of the 20th Century
by
Lena
Bridgman Truster
President MCG&HS
Founders Day 2000
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Editor of The Herald. Vera did the typing from the beginning starting
in 1977. The following year
Vera Meek Wimberly became Editor held that position until 1998 when she became
Associate Editor.
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One of the major projects undertaken by the charter members was that of
our Montgomery County History Book. That was in published in 1981. As was
and now is the case, Vera's fingers flew over the typewriter keys…Oh,
it's computer keys now. Her fingers are still nimble!!
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Our lifeline to the public, that of Corresponding Secretary, is held by
Vera Wimberly. She answers the correspondence coming in to our office. We
do not need to remind her that we need to send thank-yous as it is already
done by the time we think about it!! She and her daughter designed neat cards
to send out for various occasions. Vera has held this office for the past
5 years. On December 6, 1999 JeriLynn Williams, the library director,
installed our Corresponding Secretary for Year 2000. It was the 17th
time that Vera Wimberly has taken the oath of office for our Society.
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She first held the office of President in 1984.
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Vera at her labor of love
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Throughout the past seventeen years she has held each office at least
once except for that of Program Chairman.
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Vera. We have delved into your past history with the Montgomery County
Genealogical & Historical Society. Your contributions are many, a few
of which have been noted tonight. I also discovered that in 1978 you published
a child's book "Please Listen God." You also published a 781 page book on
The Wimberly Family History and was recognized by the Texas State Historical
Society. You have served as the "Genealogical Encyclopedia" for each one
of us. Your devotion to the Society has been noted throughout the genealogical
world. It is with great honor and pleasure that we name, you, Vera Wimberly, as
Our Charter Member of
The 20th Century.
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We also have the pleasure of welcoming, Gay Lockler, Vera's daughter to
our festivities. Please stand. We wanted You to share in this wonderful evening
and we are so glad you came.
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Vera also has a son, Scott, Jr. who lives in Austin.
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Vera Meek Wimberly received the
prestigious
Charter Member of the
20th Century Award
at the 24th
Annual Founders Day in 2000.
She received a standing ovation,
a picture
quilt handmade
by Clata McCarver and
red roses.
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Mehitable Higgenbotham was just one phase of Vera's genealogical career.
Below is a skit that Vera created has done over the years. This
was read at Founders Day by President Lena Bridgman Truster
[Hall of Fame 2000]. Now we
found out that Vera is an outstanding actress.
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"Twas the Second Annual Founder's Day celebration that Mehitable Higgenbotham,
from Paduka County, KY interrupted the orderly proceedings and proceeded to
inform the society of her experience in locating her ancestors.
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Mahitable Higgenbotham
telling it likes it is!
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While attending a County Clerk's Convention in Conroe, she dropped into
the library. She'd planned to "Get the book down (from them shelves) so's
I gin see who my ancestors was.: Instead of a book, the librarian brought
out "all these forms. So many of them, I needed a degree in form fillen out."
She intended to prove her descendancy from royalty and secondly to write
a book that would surely earn her a Cadillac. She began by employing a CPG
(Certified Public Genealogist). "Boy, was he a nosey,"she began." He asked
me a lot of questions. I wasn't gonna tell him nuthin I was paying him to
find out." She reported smugly. After six months of work, the CPG reported
to Mrs. Higgenbotham that : Her ancestors died and didn't leave NO DESCENDANTS.
I found another work of Mrs. Higginbotham in the archives to share with you
in The Herald, Vol 1, Issue 4, October 1978. MEHITABLE HIGGENBOTHAM SEZ: On
Doin' Liberry Searchin'I know everybody out there is dyin' to know all about
researchin' in a liberry-a genealogy liberry, that is. So, pay attention.
Every time you set foot in that there genealogy room at Montgomery County
Liberry, they stick that dumb register book under you nose, saying that proof
of use of the Genealogy Room gets 'em more books. So, jest smile and sign
in all them spaces. For goodness sakes-take a ton of pencils-'cause one time
somebody done underlined their ancesters names in ink and done ruint a whole
book. Take cheer-they got a 'lectric pencil sharpner. Now, they have a "Head
Honcho" who knows jest ever thang-but do you think you can waltz in there
and tell her to get the book down and show you your ancesters? WRONG! Or
to work up your family tree? WRONG! Like as not she'll begin to explain all
'bout the genealogy room and where YOU can commence to put your ancester
tree together yourself. Invariblely, she'll ask, "Who of your ancesters was
alive in 1880?" Something 'bout 'til now that's the latest census records
available. Lordee, if'n I knowed that I wouldn't be at the liberry to find
out! I think it's a game they play to jest get you to come in ever day and
sign your name in that dumb register. Now that you come to the understandin'
that you do the job YOURSELF, you commence to find out about microfilms and
"readers." That "reader" is YOU-that is, if'n you got four pair eyes, a lot
of imagination and the patience of JOB. "Cause them census-takers didn't
know boo about spelin'. It seems the feller who could rite got the census-takers
job-didn't make no never mind if'n he knowed how to spel. And then, there's
all them forms. A nickel notebook you carry 'round in your purse to jot down
your grocer list jest won't cut the mustard. They got forms for everthang.
Claims it makes "proving out" easier. Whatever that is. But they don't offer
a course in Form-fillin'-Out. Now the last thang you need to work at Montgomery
County Liberry on your family tree is nerves-nerves of steel-cause you jest
never know when somebody is gonna find their relates and the "yells" that
rent the air is plumb startling! I ain't never found no body yet, but I been
practicing at home so if I ever do, I can yell real good. T'other day when
I took my youngun into that there Children's Dept. of the Liberry, they done
tole me that they ain't gonna do no more babysittin' whilst I do my researchin',
so don't none of you wag yore little kids down there thinkin' you done got
a built-in babysitter, 'cause you ain't!!
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Vera, thank you so much for having been a part of this great society!!
It will be hard to fill your shoes.
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