Booth, Talmadge Early 

Talmadge Early Booth passed from this life into his eternal rest 
on Friday, January 27, 2006, at Good Shepherd Medical Center, 
Longview, Texas. He was born December 16, 1929, in Longview, 
Texas, to James Willis Booth and Gladys Laressa Adams Booth, 
both members of pioneer families of Gregg County. Talmadge was 
a 1946 graduate of Longview High School and received his bachelor 
of business administration degree from Cox School of Business, 
Southern Methodist University, in 1950. He established the 
Longview Insurance Agency, later Booth Insurance Agency, in 
June 1950, and received the Chartered Property Casualty 
Underwriters (CPCU) designation, the highest earned designation 
in property and casualty insurance. He served in the Marine Corps. 
Reserve 1948-1950 and the Naval Air Corps. Reserve 1950-1954. He 
married Frances Jo Birdwell in 1951. They had four children: 
Victoria Lynn, Robert Early, Stuart Lee and Leanne Elizabeth. 
Frances preceded him in death in 1981. On April 15, 1983, Talmadge 
married Frances Monigold Liston. He enjoyed many interests 
including music, dancing, photography, genealogy, coin-collecting 
and hybridizing day lilies. Talmadge was very active in many 
professional, civic and fraternal groups. He was one of three 
originators of the Longview Association of Insurance Agents. He 
was secretary of the East Texas Insurance Association for 25 years 
and regional vice-president of the Texas Association of Insurance 
Agents. He was organizer and past president of the Exchange Club 
of Longview and a member of the Downtown Rotary Club. Talmadge 
served as a past board member of the Longview Chamber of Commerce. 
He organized the Greenwood Cemetery Association, serving 29 years 
as president from 1974 until January 2003, when he became a Trustee 
Emeritus. Talmadge had a dream of a beautiful fence around the 
cemetery and started a fund-raising campaign for that purpose. With 
the help of many others, his dream was realized with the fence 
dedication ceremony on April 4, 2004. Several national awards were 
given to Talmadge for his outstanding work, including the National 
Gold Medal for Excellence while chairman of the Parks and 
Recreation Board and the "Gold Spade" award for organizing the Men's 
Garden Club. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church 
and formerly served on the administrative board and was a charter 
member of the Gregg County Historical Museum. He was a member of 
Kappa Alpha and a member of the Golden Mustang Club at SMU. He was 
a mason with Longview Lodge No. 404, member of the Sons of the 
Republic of Texas, the General Society of the War of 1812, the Sons 
of Confederate Veterans and listed in the Hereditary Register of the 
United States of America 1973. Upon Talmadge's retirement in 1994, 
he formed the East Texas Chapter of the Sons of the American 
Revolution, tracing his ancestry back to Col. John Hamilton McNairy 
and Gen. John Hamilton. He also did the genealogy work for 
applications of many new SAR members resulting in his receiving the 
Florence Kendall Award, the top national honor for recruiting. The 
Patriot Medal was given to him by the Texas Society of SAR by vote of 
fellow compatriots. The Daughters of the American Revolution awarded 
him their National Medal for Community Service. Survivors include his 
wife, Frances Liston Booth; children, Victoria Bingham of Ward, 
Colorado, Robert Booth and wife, Terrie, of Dallas, Stuart Lee Booth 
and wife, Hollie, of Longview, Leanne McCarty and husband, Dan, of 
Plano, and stepson, Thomas "Pat" Liston and wife, Karen, of Austin; 
10 grandchildren, Tai Bingham, Nolan Bingham, Stuart Booth, Peyton 
Booth, Adam Booth, Dillon Talmadge Booth, Christine McCarty, Jacob 
Liston and Ian Liston; one great-grandson, Hayden Lee Booth; brother, 
Dr. James Willis Booth Jr. and wife, Kitty; and numerous cousins, 
nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; two 
brothers, Edwin and infant Horace; and sister, Mary Elizabeth. Funeral 
services will be 10 a.m. Monday, January 30, 2006, at First United 
Methodist Church with Dr. W.D. O'Neal and the Rev. Jerry Turner 
officiating under direction of Rader Funeral Home. Burial will follow 
in Greenwood Cemetery. Pallbearers will be James Willis Booth III, 
Morris Booth, Adam Lee Booth, Dillon Talmadge Booth, Nolan Bingham, 
Stuart Booth, Tom Ward, George Tijerina and Ron Rather. Honorary 
Pallbearers will be James Willis Booth Jr., James Redfearn, Jim 
Presley, Tom Landers, Harry Owens, Chick Bachtel, Bill Killian, Gene 
Birdwell, Jerrell Huffman, Ed Warner, Carroll Harris, Roy Morgan, 
Gilbert Moore and Louella Scott. The family will receive friends at 
the funeral home on today, January 29, 2006 from 4-6 p.m. Memorials 
may be sent to the Greenwood Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 4625, 
Longview, TX 75606, or First United Methodist Church. A memorial 
guestbook may be signed online at www.raderfh.com.

Published in the Longview News-Journal on 1/29/2006.