Lucille Caroline (Jensen) Herman, 92, passed peacefully on August 2,
2022, at Presbyterian Manor in Lawrence, KS. She was a loving wife to
Kenneth Herman, and devoted mother to her sons Brad and Jeff. Lucille
was born in 1929 in Rural Republic County at the beginning of The Great
Depression. Growing up with two sisters and a brother they all worked
hard on the family farm. Lucille and her siblings all went on to further
their education after high school, and she graduated from the St.
Joseph’s School of Nursing in Concordia, KS in 1950.
She worked in Concordia as an operating room nurse, and eventually
as the charge nurse of the operating room. In 1961, a nursing school
classmate of Lucille's referred her to a job as Administrator for the
Smith County Memorial Hospital. For 29 years, Lucille was dedicated to
her work at the hospital, and was very proud of the services provided to
the community by the doctors, nurses and staff. In 1985, Lucille
received a bachelor's degree in nursing from Fort Hays State University.
Lucille liked to be active, and her hobbies included sailing with
her family at Kirwin or Waconda lakes, flower gardening and reading.
Lucille also loved to cook, and when their strawberries were ripe she
would make the best strawberry rhubarb pie. After a family vacation to
Colorado where sons Jeff and Brad learned to snow ski, Lucille and Ken
decided to learn to snow ski too, which the family did together for many
years. Lucille liked to bicycle and once did the 425 mile “Biking
Across Kansas” ride. Lucille even supported Ken, Jeff and Brad when they
would bring home and rebuild wrecked sports cars. She could see beyond
the messy garage to the completed cars Ken, Jeff and Brad rebuilt.
After retiring in 1990, Lucille helped several elderly Smith County
residents manage their finances after they could no longer do so for
themselves. In 2011, Lucille moved to Lawrence to be close to family.
Lucille lived at Drury Place independent living in Lawrence where she
was active, occasionally she used her administrative, organizing and
computer abilities to help out other residents at Drury Place .
We are so grateful to have had her as such an incredible example of kindness, honesty, and strength.
Click HERE for service details.