Lucille Alice Albertson Clark

Lucille was born February 24, 1916 in Lamberton, Redwood County, Minnesota. Growing up on the family farm in Minnesota she helped with household chores, children, and chickens. Her dad and brothers worked outside, using Percheron draft horses for plowing the fields and sowing corn. Following high school graduation at 16, she stayed home to raise her twin sisters until she was 20.

As a young woman Lucille moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to live near her sister, Myrtle, and found work as a hairdresser. In Milwaukee during that era of big bands and dancing, she met her husband James on a blind date while he was an army corporal stationed near Chicago. They married on October 30, 1939 in Milwaukee. When World War II started in 1941 she was interviewed by the FBI and asked to spy on her German neighbors. She refused. With the expansion of the war effort in early 1944, the family moved west to Richland, WA to work at Hanford. It was only after the end of the war that the employees learned they were working on the Manhattan Project, manufacturing plutonium for the second atomic bomb.

Lucille held a variety of jobs in Richland over the years. At the end of her career she spent her days in the Federal Building, locked in an office writing payroll checks for General Electric. Once during a bomb-threat, the Federal Building was evacuated; however, no one bothered to tell Lucille and she remained locked in her office.

Always employed, Lucille retired in her 60s and relocated to Rohnert Park, California, where she lived for 25 years. Following her husband’s death in 2001, she moved to Yakima to live near her only child, Helen Riehl. She was an avid gardener, an accomplished horsewoman, hiker, and artist. She faithfully exercised at the Harmon Center three times a week and attended all the dances. Lucille’s favorite vacation was a horseback trip around Mt. Rainier on the Wonderland Trail. She chose to live in the Living Care Community in her late 90’s and excelled at bean bag baseball.

She is survived by her daughter, Helen (Clark) Riehl; granddaughter, Cynthia Ann (Riehl) Hargreaves and her spouse David; grandson, Dr. Doran James Riehl and his spouse, Mary; great-granddaughters, Carly Renee Riehl; Haley Adele Hargreaves; Kathryn Ann Hargreaves; and Elena Francis Riehl; and many nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her parents, Albert Mons and Louise Helena (Heydlauff) Albertson; her husband of 64 years, James Munn Clark, and her 10 siblings. They are: Earl Christen Albertson; Archibald (Archie) Russell Albertson; Myrtle Gladys (Albertson) Fritz; Violet (Vi) Louise (Albertson) Schiffman; Kermit (Kay) Albert Albertson; Orland (Bob) Warren Albertson; Orvall (Sonny) Lee Albertson; Lowell William Albertson; and twins, Jean Mary (Albertson) Schneider and Joan Marie (Albertson) Christenson.

A memorial service is scheduled for 11:00AM on Saturday, February 25, 2017, at Central Lutheran Church.

In lieu of flowers please send contributions in her memory to Central Lutheran Church or Cottage in the Meadow. In memory of Lucille, please wear your pearls or a neckerchief.