We are men who lead, serve, protect and defend, whether we are giving out Coats for Kids, donating wheelchairs, lending a helping hand in disaster relief efforts, supporting local pregnancy centers or providing top-quality financial products.
Lou and Dian Lemons were married in 1969, they had met in college at Southwest Oklahoma State in Weatherford, OK off of I-40, the old route 66. Lou was born in Arkansas and then moved to Anadarko, OK, where he graduated junior high and high school with his parents William Louis Lemons, Sr. and Ella Jean Underwood. Lou was born May 15th, 1948 exactly a year after his parents were married. He says he was a gift to them both on the exact day. Lou’s father was a journeyman, but was in World War II stationed in Hawaii for the Navy as a storekeeper. He was also a bartender at the officer’s club and then for his profession was a member of REA (Rural Electrification Association). His father was born in 1923 and his mother was born in 1930.
Lou began college at Oklahoma State where he says he experienced culture shock as he had a freshman classroom of 200 people which was more people than the town he grew up in had. He decided to transfer to Southwest Oklahoma State where he graduated with a psychology and biology degree with a grade point average of 2.8. He wasn’t drafted for Vietnam because of student deferment, but was later called up after graduating and having one daughter. He was stationed at Fort Carson, CO where he did boot camp and basic training. He was a counselor at the Army Community Service Center and he also worked with handicapped children. He had also received a master’s degree in science education. Lou stayed with the Army until 1999 when he retired.
In 1990, he and his wife moved to Dallas and he worked for the AGR medical service corps in Seagoville at the General Hospital. He was also deployed to Bosnia for 9 months in 1997-98. Lou was also a junior ROTC teacher at Sunset High School in Oak Cliff. He got to watch them gain confidence and become good leaders. He feels that he and his NCO’s did a good job with them and taught them that they could accomplish more than they imagined for themselves. Lou also retired from that position in September 2015. Dian was born in Elk City, OK as a Catholic which is how Lou, a former Baptist, became a Catholic and he has stayed in stride since then. Dian used to teach at a private school and taught science and math. She is a retired schoolteacher. They have four kids, 2 boys and 2 girls, William III, Jesse, Theresa, and Patti. They traveled to Israel last year with Father Eugene as his daughter Patti went along with Jesse, his son, as well as Jesse’s wife. Lou and Dian also have 3 granddaughters.
Lou became a knight in 1983 while in Oklahoma, but some of the knights that have helped him along the way are Frank Salazar, David Dybala, Dan Murphy, Allen Reitmeier, and John Espree. He and Dian have lived at their home on Beaver Creek since 1995.
