Virginia Dare Thomas was born on June 24, 1923 at home on the Thomas family farm, 3 1/2 miles west of Cadiz, on the Maple Grove Road. She was one of four children of Eura W. and Pearl Lawrence Thomas. Virginia finished 7th grade of school at Warrenton Grade School, and later graduated from the 8th grade at Cadiz Grade School. After graduating from Trigg County High School, she enrolled in Newton's Business College in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.
On April 8, 1949, Virginia married Rumsey H. "Pete" Alexander. They had no children, but always cared for the three children of Virginia's sister, Doris Thomas Skinner, as their own children.
Virginia was offered a job as secretary at the Trigg County Extension Office in the courthouse in early 1941. She also served as secretary of Trigg County Farm Bureau and Trigg County Soil Improvement Coop, Inc. Eleven years later, Virginia became a member of the Trigg County Democratic Party. She was appointed for a two year term to fill the unexpired term of R. C. Burnett, the Trigg County Circuit Court Clerk at the time.
On August 5, 1953 Virginia was the first woman elected to hold the office of Trigg County Circuit Court Clerk. She was never opposed in this office for a span of 20 years. During this time, she served as Master Commissioner of the Court, appointed by Circuit Judge Stephen White. In 1953, she was also named as secretary/treasurer of Trigg County American Red Cross, a position she would hold until 1994. Additionally, Virginia was also the first woman to serve as president of the Cadiz-Trigg County Chamber of Commerce.
Virginia continued her political pursuits by serving as local chairwoman for many state and national candidates, including John F. Kennedy for President, Lawrence Weatherby, Bert Combs, and Ned Breathitt for Governor of the Commonwealth. In 1973, Virginia ran for the office of Trigg County Clerk, an office which she easily won. She ran for her fourth term as Trigg County Clerk, but unfortunately lost this election. Disappointed, but not discouraged, she ran and won a two year term as a member of the Cadiz City Council with the largest number of votes in that election. This enabled Virginia to continue her volunteer work for the people of Trigg County, thus ending her political career of 40 years.
One of the great projects of Virginia's life was being one of ten business women in Trigg County to found the Barkley Lake Broadcasting Company - Radio Station WKDZ. Virginia and a group of retail merchants organized the Cadiz Retail Merchants' Association in the late 1950's. In 1962, the Retail Merchants' Association was disbanded, and the Trigg County Chamber of Commerce was organized. Virginia served as secretary until 1974, and in 1991 and 1992, she served as Vice President and then President of the Chamber of Commerce.
Another great progress for Trigg County in which Virginia was involved was the founding of the Trigg County Hospital in the early 1950's. She served as secretary to the hospital committee. Virginia also served as a member of the Trigg County Sesquicentennial Committee. At the time, she was acting president of the Trigg County Business and Professional Women's Club, and in 1976, the group elected Virginia as Business Woman of the Year, honoring her during the Sesquicentennial.
Virginia also was a charter member of the Thomas-Bridges Association and served as President of the organization as well as other offices. She had a keen interest in the genealogy of her family and the perpetuation of the legacy of the Thomas-Bridges family. She was also very influential in the local and state chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Virginia Dare Thomas Alexander died on May 16, 2019, and was buried in the East End Cemetery in Cadiz, Kentucky.
LINEAGE:
(Virginia Dare Thomas Alexander was the daughter of Eura Wesley and Lucy Pearl Lawrence Thomas, the granddaughter of Wesley Gunn and Eliza L. Henderson Thomas and the great-granddaughter of Stanley and Emily Ann Light Thomas. Stanley was the second child of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas. Starkie was the fourth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas. Mary was the seventh child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)
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