Marieda Kilgore was born in Dayton, Texas and spent her formative years enjoying small town life where her parents raised a variety of animals and instilled a strong sense of the Lord, family and music. She began drawing early and won her first art award at age six. Printed nationally at age 12, her work caught the eye of the local newspaper editor and she created a comic strip called Shorty and Me.
While Marieda wasn’t competitive by nature, she strove for excellence and won various awards for Art, Math, Typing, Shorthand, Music and Writing. Realizing much of her art work centered around fashion, she began designing and sewing by the time she was in high school.
Moving to Montgomery County in 1984 with her husband, Lee, and daughter, Andrea, Marieda began a diverse career. As the controller for a communications company in the mid 1980’s, she saw the rise of cellular technology. When the company sold, she began working with a new development corporation as an assistant comptroller, that development was Bentwater. It was during this time that her second daughter, Vanessa, was born with spina bifida and her life changed a bit. With Vanessa on her lap, Marieda worked as the controller of a machine shop where her husband was the manager. Taking a year off, she re-entered the workforce as the controller of an aftermarket automotive accessories business. The owner then opened a Bail Bond office and Marieda managed both the bond office and obtained her private investigators license. While not as exciting as television depicts, Marieda did effect 41 arrests in 2000 as a private investigator. When the time came to leave the bonding office, she became the controller of a 2500 acre development company where she organized a Gary Player Golf Tourney for over 500 people. When the development was complete, she began working as a legal assistant in Conroe. As seemed to be a pattern, the attorney also partnered with a construction company and they asked Marieda to join as an assistant project manager with their commercial construction business.
Through the years, Marieda has been the Secretary and Treasurer of the Montgomery Band Boosters, worked with women’s outreach programs to assist abused women get back on their feet, mentoring teens, and she presently works with the Montgomery County Court Visitor Program who assists with guardianships in the county.
Her passion with fashion and textiles has flourished. Since 1997 she has been a costumer with the Crighton Players at both the Crighton and Owen Theatres in over 20 productions. Not satisfied with work behind the scenes including set dressing, Marieda has also performed on stage in many productions. Her piano skills have been featured as the music director in several stage productions as well. Recently she has been the pianist for the Players Old Time Radio Show. She does Christian comedy and has been singing and playing the piano with the Christ Jesus Gospelaires since age 13. She has written over 30 songs and records with the group.
Marieda is very honored to be the President of the Friends of the Flag Foundation. In her spare time, she chooses not to sleep, but currently writes a blog as The Closet Fairy, paints murals, and costumes plays when not singing.
