You are reading this eulogy on line because the Covid 19 pandemic has us distancing ourselves from one another. For many, this is uncomfortable and distressing. Oddly enough, Lucille would probably embrace this. She was a very friendly person, but also a private person, comfortable in her own company. As she would say, “I'm not a joiner.” She would be perfectly happy to be reading, working a puzzle, noodling on the piano or pottering around the garden.

People were generally divided up into two groups for my mother. Her sort and not her sort. If she were to meet those of you reading this post, she would no doubt say, “Oh, yes. They are my sort.” There were any number of people who fell into the opposite camp. “No, they are not my sort.” These people could be crude, flashy, self centered, willfully ignorant or mean spirited. Not that these individuals would ever know of their less than favorable designation for Lucille was a kind person. She and Warner always made sure to go out of their way to include people that others may have ostracized.

When I was five years old, Mom and I were sitting at the counter of the Velvet Freeze on Westport Road (a favorite destination within walking distance of home). The next thing I knew, she was gone. I looked at the counterman in consternation and he pointed toward the front window. Mom was in the middle of busy Westport road escorting a blind man to the other side. Thank you, Mom, for leading by example.

As you peruse the photos on this site, you may notice that she often wore red. It was her favorite color and she looked good in it. She was very pretty, well dressed and had a knockout smile. At the age of seventeen she was named Goddess of Agriculture in Saline County, an honor she pooh-poohed by saying, “Yes, Queen of the corn.”

She may well have been Queen of the corn when it came to her sense of humor. Lucille liked corny jokes, probably the cornier the better. (Those of you who know me, will say the kernel does not fall far from the cob!)

In her 96 years Lucille did not travel extensively, but she and Warner traveled to Japan, Portugal, France, Italy and Hawaii. She enjoyed these trips, but the lead-up to them was always a bit harried and she would say it was more trouble than it was worth. All of that was forgotten once they were airborne.

Mom and Dad were very involved in charitable giving and eschewed acknowledgement. They both were disapproving of those who gave and had their pictures in the paper or made a point of letting people know how generous they were. Anonymous or low profile was definitely their preference.

If you did not know Lucille well or never met her, perhaps this will give you a bit of insight to her personality and her life. There will be other, more specific stories on another page of this web site in the near future.