Eunice Rose (Lander) Lucas
Eunice Rose (Lander) Lucas, a Moses Lake resident for over 45 years, passed away surrounded by family Wednesday morning, Nov. 21, 2007, at age 90. Her husband, Gordon Lucas, died 26 years earlier to the day (Nov. 21, 1981).
Eunice was born Aug. 23, 1917, in Choteau County, Mont., on the family farm. She was the oldest of seven children. She often relayed childhood stories of playing with her brothers and sisters. She would say growing up on a farm, you played everywhere; the yard, the woods, the barn and the apple orchard. She would tell us stories of standing on the plow horses to play circus and swimming in the creek that ran through the property. She would remember her mother's big farm kitchen and how her mother would always be cleaning house, a trait Eunice picked up herself.
Eunice rode a plow horse to and from the one-room school house where she attended grade school. In order to attend high school in Great Falls she worked for her room and board with a local family and cared for their two children. Following high school she attended college in Great Falls.
Eunice married Gordon Lucas and had six children, one son and five daughters. The family resided in Chewelah where Eunice worked at St. Joseph Hospital as a nurse's aide. They later moved to Moses Lake where Eunice worked at the nursing home, Samaritan Hospital and baby-sat several of her grandchildren through the years.
The most important thing for Eunice was her family. She adored her sisters, her children and many grandchildren. She enjoyed playing cards and she could always say something to make you smile. Her entire life was spent helping her family. Sometimes all that was needed was a few words "of wisdom" from Mom.
She was preceded in death by her parents William and Georgia Lander; husband, Gordon; her only son, Leroy "Larry" Lucas; her brothers, Bill and Melvin Lander; her sisters, Josephine Cunningham, Genevieve Higgs and Gerri Snyder.
Eunice is survived by her sister Ann (Bill) Hudson (Sedona, Ariz.,); daughters: Linda (Ron) Ballo (Kettle Falls), Carmen Machamer (Colville), Julie (Roger) Breitenfield (Aurora, Chicago, Ill,), Marie Pinard and Rick Tolley (Moses Lake) and Jana (Jeff) Ames (Moses Lake) and daughter-in-law Joanne Ricker (Bonesteel, South Dakota).
She has left behind several grandchildren: Jessica Huntley, Jeffrey Ames, Tracy Johnson, Todd Pinard, Jeffry Haynes II, Jennifer Allen, Jill Terry, Renee Grant, Andrea Newsome, Mark Hardman, Marie Holst, Larry Fitzgerald; great-grandchildren: Megan Fitzgerald, Gage and Reece Huntley, Gage and Megan Johnson, Teresa Dickinson, Shaun, Alison and Kyle Holst; Brynne Bone, and Christopher Grant; Matthew Newsome; Anna and Jeffry Haynes III, Rachael and Nicklaus Allen, Jourdan Hull, Bailey Terry; Caitlyn and Colin Hardman. She had one great-great-grandaughter Lilly Bone.
She was a great friend and mother and will be missed by her many friends and loving family.
The family would like to give a special thanks to Jessica, Virginia, Laura, Joanne and the staff at Lakeridge for their loving care of our mother.
There will be no service per her request. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.