Archie Wilmer
1908-1984
Spouse
Lola Mae (Mary) Wilmer
1913-1990
Children
Glenn E. Wilmer (1935-1988)
Archie Wilmer Jr.
Chineta (Wilmer) Blue (1940-2021)
Harvey Wilmer
Earl Wilmer (1972)
Juanita Wilmer
In 1949, Lola Mae (Mary) Wilmer came to Ft Walton Beach with four of her six children from Copeland, Florida, in the Everglades. Archie Wilmer and Lola Mae were separated and never reconciled. The children from the union were, Glen, Archie Jr., Chineta, Harvey, Earl and Juanita.
When Archie and Lola separated, Glen, around 13 years old. He went to stay with his grandmother on his father’s side in Monroeville, Alabama. Juanita, the baby, was raised by neighbors Albert and Many Chaney. The Chaney’s eventually left Copeland, Florida and moved to Clearwater, Florida and later they settled in Largo, Florida where Juanita remained until she became an adult.
Mrs. Lola Mae (Mary) Wilmer left Copeland, Florida in the Everglade with the remainder of her children. After brief stays in Sandford and Caryville, Florida, she came to Ft Walton Beach, Florida. From the bus stop at Elgin Parkway and Hollywood Blvd, Lola Mae and her four children deboarded and made the walk to boarding house on Carson Drive that was operated by Mrs. Eula Mae Harris. Lola Mae, Archie (Sonny Boy), Chineta, Harvey, and Burt (Earl) resided at the boarding house and in two other apartment buildings on Fourth Street and Windham Drive.
In spite of her limited education and status as a single mom, Lola Mae was an industrious woman with a vision. Lola worked several jobs, from sun-up to dark to provide for her children. In the mid-fifties she managed somehow to by property and have a house constructed on Windham Drive. Lola Mae was wasn’t content just to have a home for her and her children. No, she built a boarding house on the back part of her property and provided rooms and meals to her tenants, military men from nearby Eglin Air Force Base, entertainers and construction workers. As a black woman entrepreneur, she was ahead of her time and had a vision to be all could be. She wanted her children to make her proud by not having to struggle as she did.
Glen went to Junior College, met the love of his life, Bertha. They married and moved to Fort Walton Beach where they raised two boys, Bobby and Michael, and a daughter Debbie. Glen was a cook, waiter and chef around the Fort Walton Beach area. Glen and Bertha ran and operated the Silver Inn Bar where they sold the best soul food in town! Michael is the sole surviver from Glen’s family and still resides in Fort Walton Beach.
Four of Lola Mae’s children who came to Fort Walton in 1949 attended Brooks Elementary and Carver-Hill in Crestview Florida. Sunny Boy (Archie) graduated from Carver-Hill and went to Florida A & M University (FAMU). He studied pre-engineering and married his high school sweetheart, Jeannette McDonald (2020). Chineta had the privilege of being named Mis Carver-Hill in the year of 1955-56.
Sunny Boy (Archie) and Jeannette move to Mineral Wells, Texas from Tallahassee, Florida with their three children. Fred (Ricky), the eldest, graduated from college. He is an accomplished singer and lives in Dallas, Texas. Archie Wilmer Jr. III went to West Point, earned his Ph. D. in Mathematics and retired as a Lt. Colonel. Currently, he is a professor for a local college in Fort Worth, Texas. Joann is married and resides with her husband in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
2024 Mineral Wells, TX 41st Veterans Day Program Guest Speaker
Mary Creighton
Special Contributor
MINERAL WELLS—Mineral Wells ISD and American Legion Post 75 will celebrate its 41st program recognizing the importance of remembering our military veterans on Nov. 11.
We remember both those who have gone to their eternal reward and those who are still with us who fought bravely for the defense of our country.
This year the guest speaker will be a hometown retired U.S. Army retired Lieutenant Colonel. This young man is Lt. Col. Archie Wilmer, III. He graduated from Mineral Wells High School.
He was selected to go to West Point Military Academy where he graduated and served in several capacities before returning to West Point as a math professor. After retirement, he came to Fort Worth and served as a math professor for Tarrant County Community College and other offices.
Lt. Col. Wilmer is married to LaTressia Holliman Wilmer of Mineral Wells and the couple now lives in Keller. Their daughter, Sterling Alexandria Wilmer, lives in Baltimore, Md. She is a registered nurse in mental health.
Lt. Col. Wilmer’s parents are Archie Wilmer Jr. and the late Jeanette Wilmer. He attended Lamar and Travis Elementary schools as well as Lee Junior High School in Mineral Wells. In high school, he enjoyed mathematics, science, music, arts and athletics. He played football and ran track. During his summers he played baseball.
Lt. Col. Wilmer was a member of the high school marching band, the stage (jazz) band, and the symphonic concert band. He participated in drama. He said his favorite subject was (and still is) mathematics.
Here are career highlights of Archie Wilmer, III:
- Bachelor of Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., 1982
- Master of Science, Applied Mathematics, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif., 1994
- Doctor of Philosophy, Applied Mathematics, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif., 2003
Archie Wilmer, III served at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; West Point, New York; the U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan-Casey, South Korea; Fort Johnson, Louisiana (previously named Fort Polk); and Fort Cavazos, Texas (previously named Fort Hood). He completed military education at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana; and Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia (previously named Fort Lee).
Among the various assignments he enjoyed in the military, one of the most rewarding was teaching mathematics at West Point where he mentored cadets to develop reasoning power, independence of thought, and problem-solving skills for the Army of the 21st century. As the Program Director for Math Electives at West Point, he supervised over 20 officers and civilians providing instruction in 33 elective courses in mathematics.
In 2010, Archie Wilmer, III retired honorably from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Ordnance Corps after more than 27 years of service. His highest military award is the Legion of Merit. After a successful career in the Army, he entered the education field to fulfill his personal mission to inspire others and change lives.
Lt. Col. Wilmer’s passion is to increase scholar recruitment and retention in STEM fields. He returned to Texas and joined Tarrant County College in 2011 teaching a variety of mathematics courses including college algebra and calculus. For several months in 2017, he served as an Interim Divisional Dean for Business, Technology, and Transportation. Afterwards, he served as an Interim Vice-President for Community and Industry Education.
Lt. Col. Wilmer is also the son-in-law of Clarence Holliman here in Mineral Wells. The Public is invited to attend this community-wide program at Ram Stadium on Nov. 11.
Seating will be on the west side. It will be good to be at the stadium by 10:30 a.m. so pre-ceremony music and activities can be enjoyed. The program will begin at 11 a.m.
Chineta (2021) and her husband John Blue married in the late fifties and had seven children. Their Children are Diane, Dorra, Freda (2021). Terry, John, Lola and Lynn. After their divorce, Chineta moved with five of her children to Mineral Wells, Texas to join Archie, Diane, and Dorra (Dallas, Texas). She eventually moved to Colorado Springs, Colorada to be near Diane, John, Lola, and Lynn who then resided there. Chineta was a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) until she retired. We all grieve the passing of Freda Blue Green and the recent passing of Chineta (Wilmer) Blue.
Harvey, after graduating from Carver-Hill in 1959 enrolled at FAMU and graduated with a Business Degree in Accounting. He took a job in Kingsport, Tennessee where he married his love, Dorothy, where they still reside. They have four children, Kimberly, Lannie, Rhonda and Dion. Kimberly and Lannie are married and live in the Asheville, NC area. Rhonda is married to her sweet love Kevin and they live in Desoto, TX.
Burt (Earl) and his love Mable were blessed with a beautiful daughter, Tammy. Earl served in the United States Air Force prior to his early death in 1972.
Juanita Dickens, the youngest daughter, never lived with the rest of the family in Fort Walton Beach. She lived with the Chaney’s until she married. She had five children, Tony, Shane, Sean, Chiquetta, and Jodie. Tony lives in Mary Esther, Florida, Shane is in Columbus, Georgia, Shaun, Chiquetta and Jodie live in Mineral Wells, Texas. Juanita works at Mineral Wells High School as a Teaching Assistant. Juanita’s husband, Joseph passed away several years ago.
In conclusion, we, the remaining family, lift up the matriarch of the Wilmer family, Lola Mae (Mary) Wilmer. From the very first day that she and the four of us got off the bus at Eglin and Hollywood, she showed us to not let other people define you— that ” it’s no how you start, but how you finish!” We Love you mom!
Written by: Harvey Wilmer (Carver-Hill High School Class of 1959)