Born in Lovelady, the Rev. Thomas Nelms Mainer was the son of merchant N. J. Mainer. After editing the local newspaper for several years, he attended Baptist Seminary and served as pastor for churches in this area. A leader in community activities, he was Superintendent of Lovelady Schools from 1921 to 1936. He helped preserve the history of Houston County through his research and writing. He married Mattie Kyle Williams (1881-1972), and they had seven children.