Harriett Myers Lucas

Her school years were spent in Flint, including Flint Junior College, following which she attended and graduated from Central Michigan University, with honors, and then taught in the Flint secondary school system. During World War II she served as a cryptanalyst for the U.S. Signal Corps in the Washington, D.C., vicinity. Later, she was employed as an executive secretary at Central Michigan University and Michigan State University. In 1957, she moved with her husband and children to Oklahoma City. All Souls Episcopal Church was her religious affiliation and she was a member of Chapter E, P.E.O., Penn and Quill Book Club and an active participant in the Oklahoma City Museum of Art Volunteer Association, Orchestra League and Town Hall.

Harriett is survived by her son, Scott K. Lucas, M.D., and his wife Debbie; and daughter Libby Howell and her husband Dick; grandchildren, Madison Rose and Marshall Lucas; and Megan, Sara, and Dickson Howell.

We will all miss this wonderful lady! Services will be at 1:00 p.m., Monday, March 8, 2010 at All Souls Episcopal Church, 6400 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Heart Association or All Souls Episcopal Church.

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Harriett Juanita/Waneta Myers Lucas—Her Days

First of all, let me explain the variation in spelling. Documents used different spelling and long ago I thought the “J” way looked more romantic although I did not care for the name at all.

I was told that I was born at home and weighed 3 ½ pounds. At one point I was placed in blankets and on a chair seat. Someone almost sat on me. What a way to go!

An early school remembrance (kindergarten) was of having to climb icy steps to get into the building. At the time, my parents, Mabel Gertrude Waterfall Myers and Reginald Gerald Myers were living with my mother’s parents. Those were depression days. I never felt close to the Waterfalls, perhaps because they spoke German. They lived on Pershing Street in Flint, Michigan. Originally the street was named after a German war officer, but World War I changed that. I assume the name Waterfall was a change from German “Wasserfahl”.

One of my earliest worries was whether or not Santa Claus would find me as we were moving from my grandparents’ home to a house on Zimmerman Street. He did—with a doll! During my life on that street, I remember riding my scooter, being quarantined with my mother as we both had scarlet fever. My paternal grandmother, Ada McNinch Myers, a practical nurse, took care of us. Grandma, whom I loved so much, lived with us off and on. My father was allowed to stay in the front bedroom only, entering by crawling through the window off the porch. My well days were spent walking to and from school and playing with children on the block.

After a few years we moved to Oak Street and lived in a row house owned by a friend of the family. I took piano lessons from her. Even though I did not practice, she always said I was doing well. I did not and quit too soon, much to my regret now.

A most dreadful thing happened while we lived there. My beloved grandmother died of pancreatic cancer. Our first inkling of her illness came when she would not come down from her bedroom for Thanksgiving dinner. After a painful, starvation death near Christmas, she was buried in Maysville, Michigan. I was devastated.

Eventually we moved to Bradley Avenue and I enjoyed living there very much, particularly because a lovely girl across the street became such a dear friend, as she is to this very day despite the fact that we have lived many states apart for over fifty years. At that time, I attended Central High School, graduating in 1937—about seventh in a class of approximately 750.

My next academic endeavor was that of attending Flint Junior College which was affiliated with the University of Michigan. There I was more active socially, being chairman of the big formal in addition to helping with teas, etc. In addition to the English literature and Latin, plus French courses which I liked, I took shorthand (fun) and typing (ugh) with an idea of working to be able to finance the rest of my college education away from home. It was difficult to leave those ivy-covered walls (really they were!) and after those two years I got a job with Michigan Bell Telephone working on blueprints to keep track of what the linemen did in the field each day. One of the men was a fine guy I had known in school. He took me to work and home each day—wonderful. Also, on Christmas morning, he would come to our house with a bottle of wine for a glass of holiday cheer. My mother didn’t care much for that, but I did date him some-sailing, etc.

Attending C.M.U. was the most wonderful thing I had done in my life until that time. Living with the other girls in the dormitory was such fun despite the fact that we had to be in at 10 p.m. weeknights. I found acting in various plays great fun and I seemed to have some acting ability. In addition, two fellows, another girl and I went with the drama professor to different cities to act in a religious play. We even went to Northwestern University in Illinois. On Sunday nights we might not return to college until the early morning hours (with permission) but making Monday morning classes was difficult.

Incidentally, one of the devilish (we thought at the time) tricks we female students did was to lower laundry bags out of our windows on a rope to boyfriends below to get food (hamburgers, etc). We really enjoyed the snacks we pulled up in an against the rules maneuver. After graduation, our housemother said she laughingly watched our operation but never chastised us.

I loved being Maggie, the female lead in “The Man Who Came to Dinner” besides other roles and helping out backstage.

I remember the excitement of our formal dances and I remember well the lovely formal gown and black velvet hooded coat I wore. Of course I’ll never forget my escorts!

As treasurer of the senior class I headed the graduation procession with class president Dave Lewis. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I hated leaving the fun and friendships of college. I had been invited to join a sorority as soon as I transferred but was not interested until my senior year. Being in a top sorority only a year did not make a big impression on me, partly because we did not have sorority house then.

My major was English and I loved both the literature and grammar aspects of it, but the only openings for such a teacher were in very small towns, so I took a position teaching shorthand and typing in a business high school in Flint, my hometown. I was supposed to teach business law also, but since I had never seen such a textbook, I refused that duty. My annual salary was $1200. Magnificent???

America’s part in World War II was in progress in 1942 and I was receiving requests from the government to work in Washington, D.C. as civilian for the Signal Corps. After correspondence courses, in 1943 (April), I took off on my great adventure-going to D.C. all alone. I made reservations for a room at the Y.W.C.A. where I stayed for a short time. Having been sworn to absolute secrecy, including not mentioning Arlington Hall and the Signal Corps, I nervously got on a bus asking to go to 2000 Lee Boulevard in Virginia. The driver yelled (I thought), “Oh, you are going to the Signal Corps.” I was certain there were spies ready to capture me.

The Sig.C. showed us new recruits pictures of government housing. Upon investigation, the housing was not as pictured. Therefore I was lucky to find a room at the Scott’s Hotel for Women in the District of Columbia, but an excessive bus ride from Arlington Hall. Arlington Hall had been an exclusive girl’s school on beautiful grounds, all taken over by the army. Orientation was followed by work under the supervision of young officers who had been taught Japanese at Harvard. I was happily thrust into the world of cryptanalysis-and of socializing with fine, smart young men. I dated some of them and found my thinking being expanded by my association with them and other young people from various parts of the U.S. Some of my college friends also came through D.C. as they were in the army of navy. Two dear college friends, Tudy and Lucy eventually came to work for the Signal Corps, and they had a girl from California and one from Louisiana became special friends and we even lived in various apartments or a house together. When we lived in the house, I gave a large party as so many people had entertained me. One of the guests, brought by my friend Lt. Hugh Staples, was Edwin K. Lucas, a Marine, who became my husband, April 6, 1946. He was also from Flint, Michigan, and was a friend of dear, dear, John Coddington. After the war, he enrolled in Central Michigan U., Mt. Pleasant, and the same college from which I had graduated. I was asked to become secretary to the Dean of Women, the second best secretarial position in the college—and the most over-worked! At one point I went to the president of the college, pounded on his desk and told him that I desperately needed help. Happily, Adeline Lowry was hired and we became the best of friends. After two and one-half years, E.K. transferred to Michigan State U. in East Lansing. There I worked for Dr. Guy Hill, whose position demanded much travel. In that job, I didn’t have enough to do, but had to look busy as the office was next to that of the president of Michigan State U.

Upon Luke’s graduation, he was offered a job in Mr. Pleasant—back to the little town I so loved. Scott and Libby were born there. I had been trying, going through various procedures to become pregnant after having a miscarriage while working for Dr. Sharp. Due to being on the verge of a nervous breakdown then, the doctor, knowing her, gave me a medication which stopped my periods. Therefore, when I did become pregnant then, I didn’t know it. I saw an aborted fetus, but no one would believe me. I kept working until I took a bus for the 100 mile trip to Flint to keep a dental appointment. My mother insisted I see a gynecologist who, horrified, sent me to the hospital immediately.

I was so delighted to deliver Scott, Oct. 14, 1951, but all was not easy. When I became very ill, Luke was hunting and the medical team thought I had malaria and took me from the ward to a private room—nice except they didn’t want Scott infecting other babies. There I was, very ill, having to care for a new, crying baby myself. To add to the situation, (it is almost laughable as I look back upon it) the hospital ran out of diapers, cloth of course, and gave me robes to use instead of soft cloths.

Having so much difficulty becoming p.g. for Scott, I blithely went on to have Libby, just 17 months younger than my dear boy. What a thrill it was to have a darling little girl so soon. I do feel that they had fun, growing up so close in age, and I pray that they always have a good relationship.

Thereafter, Luke elected to leave the independent company for which he worked, to go with Gulf Oil for security. That was in 1957, just after my father died of a massive heart attack and we were transferred to Oklahoma City. That meant leaving my mother alone in Flint. She did have good friends there and always came to visit us just prior to Thanksgiving, staying until after Christmas. It was so sad when it came to a point when she no longer felt up to air travel. I visited her every summer until she no longer could stay alone. She hated leaving her friends when I moved her to Oklahoma City to live with me. You all know the rest of the story—her unhappiness, her breaking her hip, then dementia.

I filed for divorce in 1977, due to Luke’s spending every weekend with Jean. My attorney discovered that Luke had bought a $35,000 houseboat and a motorcycle for them, in addition to renting an apartment in the city. The boat and cycle were at Grand Lake. Checks were also written to Jean. Although our marriage was marred with physical and mental abuse, I did not want a divorce and it was the most devastating action I ever took and I am still heartbroken.

I tried to find employment which did not involve typing because of my eye problem. I answered many ads but was told I was over-qualified. I did work part-time for Barbara Weirich—a dirty job preparing fragile gifts for mailing and also selling clothes for Jerome’s. I found that I was just increasing my income tax and making no money. At the time I received oil income and saved and invested every penny possible.

Much more enjoyable was baby-sitting for Libby and Dick. I loved taking Megan, Sara, and Dickson to and from school and to their swimming and tennis activities…even ballet and gymnastics. Being a grandmother is so wonderful. My regret is that when Scott and Debbie had their children, my eye sight had deteriorated to such a degree that I no longer felt responsible for transporting children—or adults. Hence I did not have the close contact with Madison and Marshall that I desired. However, my heart encompasses all five and I wish and pray for the very best of futures for each one.