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 Arbor Court independent living in Lawrence where she was active, occasionally she used her administrative, organizing and computer abilities to help out other residents at Arbor Court.
We are so grateful to have had her as such an incredible example of kindness, honesty, and strength.
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