Talmage S. Teague was born on January 13, 1888 in Siler City, NC to Samuel P. and Addie Teague. He was the youngest son in a family of six boys and six girls. As a young boy he loved to hunt and fish and learned to handle a gun early on, becoming an excellent hunter.

Graduating from Mt. Vernon High School in 1907, he enrolled at Wake Forest College where he majored in mathematics, receiving his BA in math magna cum laude in 1911. His first job was as principal of Atkinson High School in Pender County where he remained for six years. During that time he met and married Mae Thomas in 1913. From Atkinson, he moved to St. Pauls Schools as principal, remaining there seven years.

In 1924 he was named superintendent of Fairmont Schools where he remained for thirteen years. During this time he operated a boarding house and provided meals for many of the teachers, often by hunting and killing it. In the warmer months it was the same with fish. More importantly, the Fairmont elementary school in 1926 was the first in the county to be accredited by the state and in 1928 the high school was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. Baltimore, Center and Smyrna elementary schools consolidated with Fairmont during Teague's tenure as did Oak Dale and Marietta high schools.

In 1936 Mr. Teague was dismissed as superintendent for reasons not now knowable. He decided to remain in Fairmont and opened a grocery store soon afterward. In 1937 his wife died and he remarried on July 13, 1940. In the interim he was appointed postmaster for Fairmont in 1939. He remained in this position until his retirement on Jan. 31, 1958.

Teague died on May 9, 1972 and is buried in Fairmont Cemetery.