Lillian Marie Thatcher |
| Posted 2008-05-28 by Judy Wight Branson |
| Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona Wednesday, May 15, 2008 Lillian Marie Thatcher, born May 6, 1924 in Kansas City, Mo., died at her home in Prescott, Ariz., May 13, 2008. Arizona Ruffner Wakelin Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements. ------------------------------ Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona Tuesday, May 20, 2008 Lillian M. Thatcher was born in Kansas City, Mo. on June 12, 1924. She was taken in her sleep by the Lord on Wednesday, May 14, 2008. As a child of the Depression years, she spent two of those early years with her sister in a Denver orphanage due to family financial problems. Later, days more joyful, were experienced when spending summers with her grandmother in the mountains at Grand Lake, Colo. Graduating from high school in 1943, she attended nurse’s training in Denver and was “capped” in 1945. She did Cadet Corps nursing with the Navy in San Diego followed by polio nursing in Colorado. Career nursing was also done in Portland, Ore., and in Bermuda. She was commissioned as a nurse Lieutenant in the Air Force in 1953. She met her husband to be, Fred, an Air Force pilot, in 1954 and they were married in October 1955. She finished her active duty in March 1956 at Eglin AFB, Florida, and was then able to join her husband at Bergstrom AFB, Texas. On their following tour in England, they adopted a son, Thomas, and gave birth to a son, Craig, in 1960. On a following tour in Rio, Brazil, Lillian did volunteer nursing at a “favela” clinic where she introduced one of the first birth control programs in the country; then not much appreciated by the government. Final retirement with Fred came in 1969 at Luke AFB and life in Litchfield Park, Ariz. She did much volunteer work for her church there and was instrumental in starting the Hospice program at the air base. Upon moving to Prescott in 1984, she continued her active church work at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church starting up the Sunday School program and founding the New Adventures Day School. She was very active on the Board of Catholic Social Services and was a volunteer for People Who Care. All who knew her will miss her charitable nature and loving kindness. She is survived by her husband, Fred; and the families of sons, Thomas of Tucson, Ariz., and Craig of Afton, Wyo. A Memorial service for Lillian will be 10 a.m. Saturday, May 24, 2008, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, located off Ruger Road at the airport. A reception will follow. All are invited to attend this tribute to a grand lady. In lieu of flowers, donations to the “Outreach Program” of St. Luke’s Church, 2000 Shepherd’s Lane, Prescott, AZ 86301 would be greatly appreciated. Information provided by survivors. |
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