H. Lucille Lutz

Lucille moved around a lot during her lifetime. During the 1918 Spanish Flu Epidemic, she traveled with her parents and brother Charles by train to San Jose, California, also living in Nichols, Martinez, and Bay Point (Port Chicago), California. She also attended school in Sprague, Washington, the Edison School in Centralia, Washington, and the one-room schoolhouse in Salzer Valley. Again moving to California, she graduated in 1933 from Martinez High School as the only female cadet.

Her first daughter, Beatrice Mabel Graham, was born in Centralia, Washington, August 19, 1935. Her second daughter, Patricia Lucille O'Brien, was born on October 14, 1940, in Enumclaw, Washington. In 1947 she married Claude Mitchell ("Happy") McReynolds in Anaconda, Montana, and her daughter Carol Ann McReynolds and her son Samuel James McReynolds were born there. She moved to Chehalis around 1954 and lived there the remaining years of her life.

Lucille led a very colorful life, having survived the Great Depression. She worked in a carnival in California, sometimes as the head of a spider and sometimes selling food or tickets, lived amidst Italians and Puerto Ricans, learning their many ways to cook food, and met Baby Face Nelson when driving a fellow to a spa in California. She worked as a waitress for many years, even owning her own restaurant in Bucoda, and later working at The Chick Burger in Centralia and the St. Helens Coffee Shop in Chehalis. She worked as a dental assistant for Dr. Doug Walker and loving bookkeeping and typing, having worked for J. C. Penney when it was in Chehalis. She married the love of her life, Jack Walter Lutz, on August 2, 1963, and together they owned the C. C. White Paint Center in Chehalis for many years.

Lucille loved to cook, sew, sometimes creating her children's clothes by hand, crochet, and knit, making small caps for premature babies for our local hospital. She was a dedicated member of Chehalis Eagles Auxiliary #1550 for 55 years and considered the Eagles her second family. She served as Madam President in 1959-60 and again in 1992-93. She was awarded the honor of District #13 Auxiliary Mother of the Year in 1988, Washington State Auxiliary Woman of the Year in 2008, and Grand Auxiliary Woman of the Year in July 2009. She was also a member of the Order of Eastern Star. She also loved to travel--Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Mexico, and Reno.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers Wilbur White, Eddville ("Skinny") White, and Charles Shafer; her infant daughter Patricia; and her beloved husband Jack.

Lucille is survived by her daughters Beatrice (Bob) Beresford of Chehalis and Carol (Jim) Wright of Chehalis, and her son Sam (Althea) McReynolds of Cheyenne Wyoming; six grandchildren, Donna (Larry) Abbott of Pacific Beach, Washington; Lucy (Frank) Novy of Fairbanks, Alaska; Jennifer (Vern) Gilmon of Chehalis, Washington; Jim (Christine) Gilmon of Centralia, Washington; Theo Kanbe of Laramie, Wyoming; and Nate Kanbe of Cheyenne, Washington; 12 great-grandchildren, and five great, great-grandchildren.

Lucille truly loved life and cherished every moment she could. She was a classy lady, a loving wife, mother, and grandmother, and will be deeply missed.

Visitation times will be on Wednesday, March 31, 2010, from noon to 5:00 p.m. at the Sticklin Funeral Chapel, and the funeral service will be on Thursday, April 1, 2010, at 11:00 a.m., also at Sticklin Funeral Chapel with graveside interment at Claquato Cemetery. A luncheon will be served thereafter at Chehalis Eagles, 1993 S. Market Blvd., Chehalis.