Lucille lived most of her 93 years in her beloved Lufkin, having only lived outside of Lufkin while in Ft. Worth with her husband Amisy Raye Anderson while he was in the Army.
Lucille married Raye on Aug. 9, 1952. Raye preceded her in death, passing away Nov. 15, 1975.
Lucille attended Lufkin High School, graduating with the class of 1945. She attended Stephen F. Austin College, graduating with both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Elementary Education.
Possessing a passion for education and children, Lucille taught elementary school for more than 40 years, finally retiring in the early 1990s. For most of her teaching career, she taught third grade at Kurth Elementary. She was also one of the first members of the Angelina County Teachers Credit Union, joining in 1955.
She began her teaching career in Vidor, Texas, where she met and became lifelong friends with Willie Ruth Cole. Lucille introduced Willie Ruth to her brother, Bob, which eventually led to their marriage.
After retiring from teaching, she still worked for many years at Gipson Funeral Home. She took great pride in her duties, and took her responsibilities seriously, helping her friends and others in the community during their times of sorrow.
Lucille wasn’t all about work. She was always very active in her community, and was especially fond of the Lufkin First Methodist Church. Lucille was a lifelong, devout Methodist. She was a significant supporter of the Church. For many years she sang in the choir and enjoyed the fellowship of those alongside her in the soprano section. She also valued being a member of the Second Mile Fellowship Class at the Church.
She spent a great deal of her free time volunteering to help others. For years, she was a volunteer at CHI St. Luke’s Health - Memorial Hospital in Lufkin as a “Pink Lady,” working in the gift shop, delivering flowers, and generally helping wherever her kindness and organizational skills were needed. She also volunteered at First United Methodist Church and visited parishioners who were in the hospital or in retirement homes and in need of a friendly face to cheer them up during difficult or lonely times.
Lucille was a long-time ticket holder for Lufkin Panthers football. She loved to attend their games and cheer on “The Pack” in person from the stands.
Lucille also donated her time to various educational organizations and initiatives. She was an influential member of Delta Kappa Gamma Sorority, an organization that promotes professional and personal growth of women educators, serving as the local President of Delta Kappa Gamma for a number of years.
Upon retirement, most every day she could be found gathered with her group of women friends living in her Inwood Terrace neighborhood, enjoying coffee and fellowship together. Many people are convinced that most conflicts in the world would have been quickly sorted out if given to these women to resolve.
Lucille has always been proud of her family’s strong Texas heritage. Lucille’s great-grandfather shared the same name as her father, Robert Peebles. Her great-grandfather Dr. Robert Peebles was influential in the founding of Texas. He was Stephen F. Austin’s physician and held a number of important positions as part of the Austin Colony. After the Texas Revolution, he served as a Congressman in the Republic of Texas Congress, and he also served as a Representative in the legislature after Texas became a state.
Predeceasing Lucille were her parents; her brother Robert Blake Peebles, Jr. and wife Willie Ruth; and her three sisters, Mary Elizabeth Peebles, Katherine Alice Peebles, and Lois June Peebles Jeffrey, and her husband Bud. Additionally, she was predeceased by her husbands’ twin sister, Faye Honea, and Faye’s husband George Honea.
Also predeceasing Lucille were her daughter, Patricia “Pat” L. Anderson, and her grandson, Cyrus Raye Markle.
Surviving Lucille is her daughter, Pamela “Pam” Sue Anderson Taylor, and her son-in-law, Steven H. Taylor, who live in Nashville, Tennessee; her nephew Robert Peebles, and his wife Loreta, who live in Dallas, Texas, and their daughter Kate Peebles; her nephew Bruce Honea, and his wife Rhonda, who live in Shreveport, La., and their children Jeremy, Jared, Janna, and several grandchildren; and Jill Platt Carswell and her husband Mike, who live in Lufkin. Jill was a very close family friend and loved like a daughter by Lucille.
During her later years, Lucille lived at PineCrest Methodist Retirement Community. Lucille’s family would like to thank the staff for the wonderful care she received during that time, especially Christene Mettlen, the health care staff, and the rehabilitation area staff. The family would also like to thank Hospice in the Pines for their support at the end of her life.
A Funeral Service will be held Tuesday, Oct. 5, at 3:00 pm at Lufkin First United Methodist Church, 805 E. Denman. The public is invited to visitation with the family prior to the service from 1:00 pm-3:00 pm at the Allen Parlor at the Church. Burial will be at the Garden of Memories Memorial Park directly after the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in honor of Lucille to the First United Methodist Church of Lufkin, the Ellen Trout Zoo, and the Nashville Humane Association.
