Col. Sam M. Lesesne
Veteran News Write for Galveston and Dallas News

Col. Sam M. Lesesne was born February 27, 1849, near Charleston, South Carolina. He was one of a family of eleven children. Three boys in the family were killed during the Civil War, and two died shortly after from the effects of wounds. He was the last of his family and was next to the youngest. While at the age of thirteen or fourteen years, he happened to see a Federal officer refuse a four-year-old child the privilege of entering the house in which the child’s family had lived in order to get her doll. The officers, it was said, ignored the cries of the child and set fire to the house. This episode filled young Lesesne with such contempt that he ran away from home and joined a Confederate scouting party. He was never injured, but had many narrow escapes. He never was allowed either by his family or the Confederate officials to join the army because of his extreme youth. After reaching manhood, he came to Texas.

He married Miss Jennie Gayle, who was a sister of B. B. Gayle and George Gayle. She came from an old pioneer family of Jackson County.

Colonel Lesesne located in Georgetown where he served as court stenographer for a few years. He was later elected as County Clerk of Williamson County and served in this position for many terms.
After retiring from political life, he entered the drug business in Georgetown, following this trade for some time. Later he disposed of his business and moved to Edna, which was the former home of his wife.

After moving to Edna, he entered the real estate business for a while. He was news writer for the Galveston News for over twenty years. He had a great appreciation of the romantic history of the Gulf Coast Country of Texas and its people. He made many trips over South Texas and had a vast store of information. He wrote a great number of stories, giving details of the early history of the region and its pioneers. He gave Jackson County and South Texas more publicity than any other man in this section of the state.

S. M. Lesesne was a Mason of long standing and a devoted Methodist. He stood high in the work of the Methodists of Texas. Louis Blaylock, a prominent Methodist layman and publisher of the Texas Christian Advocate, has the following to say about him: “Never did I meet a finer gentleman. He was a devoted Christian and a credit to his state. It was my privilege to have his friendship sixteen years and I have lost a true friend.”

He died suddenly while eating supper in Galveston, December 10, 1919.

Jennie Gayle Lesesne
Mrs. S. M. Lesesne
A Pioneer Teacher, Club Organizer

Mrs. S. M. Lesesne, whose maiden name was Jennie Gayle, a daughter of Alexander T. Gayle and Frances Agnes Sutherland Gayle, prominent and pioneer residents of Jackson County Her father was Jackson County’s first surveyor and one of the first county commissioners.

She was born on the old Sutherland Homestead east of the Navidad River, in Jackson County, January 14^th, 1885. She received her higher education at Raleigh, N. C., and Georgetown, Texas. She met and married Col. S. M. Lesesne, a prominent druggist in Georgetown. He became a well-known staff writer for the Galveston News in his later years.

They were married in 1879. In 1888 Mr. and Mrs. Lesesne moved to Edna where they spent the remainder of their lives.

She was a member of the Methodist Church and a great church worker. She was active in the civic movements of Edna. She was the prime organizer and the first president of the Eleanor Brackenridge Club, the first Literary Club ever organized in Edna. Her keen interest and executive ability were potential factors in carrying this infant club to a stable foundation. She also organized the first Missionary Society of the Methodist Church in Edna and served as its president for many years.

Mrs. Lesesne was an accomplished musician and artist. She taught both of these arts in a private school in Edna. She exerted a wonderful influence for good in the school room, in the church and in her club work. She and Eleanor Brackenridge were girlhood friends.

She died in the home of her nephew and niece, Mr. and Mrs. Hugh L. White, March 3, 1929, where she had resided for the last few years.

The Cavalcade of Jackson County, by I. T. Taylor, Third Edition, Pages 396-397
Used by permission of the Jackson County Historical Commission
 

S. M. Lesesne
Newspaper Writer Drops Dead At Table

Galveston, Dec. 11.—Telegrams of condolence from all over the State are pouring in today, following the sudden death yesterday of S. M. Lesesne, staff correspondent of the Dallas-Galveston News. Mrs. Lesesne is ill in a local infirmary.

Lesesne, who was 70 years old, dropped dead in a restaurant while visiting with his niece. He was here to attend the bedside of his wife. Lesesne was born in Williamsburg, S. C. He fought in the Civil War and came to Texas in his early youth. He had been with the Belo publications since 1903, first as traveling agent, then as correspondent. He was a familiar figure at Methodist conferences.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram, December 11, 1919

Funeral of Texas Editor Set for Friday at Edna

Galveston, Texas, Dec. 11.—The body of S. M. Lesesne, aged 71, prominent Texas journalist, who died suddenly in a café here Wednesday night, will be sent to his home in Edna Friday morning, according to an announcement received from relatives. Funeral services and burial will be there immediately after the arrival of the body.

At the time of his death Mr. Lesesne was accompanied by his niece, Miss Jennie Gayle. They were here looking after Mr. Lesesne’s wife, who is ill at the John Sealy hospital.

Houston Post, December 12, 1919

Resident of Edna Dies Suddenly in Galveston
S. M. Lesesne, Veteran News Writer, Was On Visit Here
Had Been Staff Correspondent of the Galveston News for Many Years; Member of Old Guard

S. M. Lesesne, 71 years old, of Edna, Texas, a staff correspondent of the Galveston News for many years, died suddenly yesterday afternoon at 5:45 o’clock in a local café. Mr. Lesesne was in Galveston attending his wife, who is ill at St. Mary’s Infirmary. Funeral arrangements will be made today upon the arrival of relatives.

Mr. Lesesne was eating dinner with his niece, Miss Jennie Gayle of Edna. Just before completing the meal he complained of a severe pain in his chest and within a minute fell forward and was dead. Dr. M. L. Graves was called immediately, and said that death was due to angina pectoris.

Born in Williamsburg, S. C., Feb. 27, 1849, Mr. Lesesne came to Texas in his early youth. He served as county clerk at Georgetown, Williamson County, for several years and later practiced law for at time, and had operated a drug store. He assumed other occupations and Jan. 1, 1903 became associated with the News as traveling agent. Apprentice of the romantic history of Texas and Texans, he accumulated during the trips over Texas a vast store of reminiscent information and wrote a number of stories detailing the early history of the state and its pioneers, and portrayed the difficulties of long ago travel and living conditions during the time that Indians roamed the prairies of Texas. And thus Mr. Lesesne gradually became connected with the editorial department of the News. He continued to write reminiscent stories and for many years regularly attended each of the Methodist conferences held annually in the state. He knew personally most of the Methodist clergy and all of the bishops. It not frequently happened that some of the bishops would confer with Mr. Lesesne about their appointees. Mr. Lesesne also attended several national Methodist conferences, the last of which was held recently at Atlanta.

Mr. Lesesne for thirty years had lived at Edna. He is a Mason of long standing. He has no children.

During the latter part of last week he was engaged in writing stories for the News dealing with the convention of the Texas Editorial Association, of which he was a member. He had remained here because of the illness of his wife.

The body is being held by F. P. Malley & Son, undertakers, pending funeral arrangements.—Galveston News.

Mr. Lesesne made frequent visits to Bay City and was well and favorably known by many of our citizens. His name to feature articles in the Galveston News from time to time was a familiarly and, we might add, a looked-for sign of something readable, fresh and valuable. Mr. Lesesne will be missed by News readers.

The Matagorda County Tribune, December 12, 1919