Lucie Estelle L'hommedieu (1910 - 2004)

Born 12 Aug 1910 in Tarrentum, Harrison Twp., Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States

Wife of Edgar Marshall Griffith — married 19 Nov 1938 in Wilkinsburg, Allegheny, PA.

Died 28 Aug 2004 at age 94 in Murrieta, Riverside, California, United States

Biography

Born 12 Aug 1910. Tarrentum, Harrison Twp., Allegheny, PA. ^[1] Note: #BI501.

Died 28 Aug 2004. Murrieta, Riverside, California. Cause: from age related problems and complications caused by several strokes. Note: #DI501.

Education: at the University of California, Berkeley. Bet 1926 and 1930. Berkeley, Berkeley, Alameda, CA. Note: Bachelor's Degree in Economics.

Occupation: Receptionist, Westinghouse Corporation. Bet 1936 and 1938. Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA. Note: Lucie worked as a Receptionist for a couple of years when she first came East after graduating from college. While she was at the East Pittsburgh Works, Westinghouse Corp, she entered and won first prize in a Forbes Magazine sponsored nationwide contest, "Why I Like to Work for My Company.". ^[2] Executive Director, Girl Scouts of USA. Bet 1952 and 1975. Johnstown, PA; Buffalo, NY, Desplaines, IL; Pomona, CA. Note: In addition to the Executive Director position in the Johnstown, PA (1952-1962), Buffalo, NY (1962-1966), DesPlaines, IL (1967-1970), and Spanish Trails, Pomona, CA (1970-1976) Girl Scout Councils, Lucile also served as a National Trainer from National Headquarters in New York City (1965-1967).^[3]

Marriage Husband Edgar Marshall Griffith. Wife Lucie Estelle L'hommedieu. Marriage 19 Nov 1938. Wilkinsburg, Allegheny, PA.^[4] Note: #NF70.

Marriage 22 Sep 1909. Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA. ^[5] Child: Lucie Estelle L'hommedieu.

Notes

Note BI501Lucie L'Hommedieu was born at the United Presbyterian Campground in Tarrentum, Harrison Township, Allegheny county, PA, where her family owned a summer cottage. Her father, a young engineer with the Westinghouse Corp. had been transferred to the San Francisco Bay area and her parents, after giving up their own home in preparation for the move to California, stayed at the family camp until Lucie was born. They left for California by train when she was 3 weeks old.

Note DI501Lucie died at home with her daughter, Sara Leslie, and her grandson, David Marshall, with her. Penny Jean Bailey was also there.

Death Certificate recorded in Riverside County, CA.

OBITUARY:

"TOMORROW IS TODAY'S DREAM".

On August 28, 2004, Lucie Estelle L'Hommedieu Griffith passed quietly away at home in Murrieta, California. She died as she lived, with dignity and personal independence, true to her life motto, "Tomorrow is today's dream." She was 94.

Lucie, known as Lucile in her later years, was born August 12, 1910, Turtle Creek, PA, and when only 3 weeks old, she had her first adventure, traveling across the country by train with her parents to the San Francisco Bay area. Here she grew up and began her life long love of California, her beloved Yosemite and Big Basin, camping and nature. Lucie graduated with highest honors from the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in economics and personnel administration, (she later attended Boston University, University of Pittsburgh, and The New School in New York City, earning Masters in philosophy and psychology). It was the first year of the Great Depression after graduation from Berkeley and she often laughed that she got her first post graduation job in a department store credit department, not because of her education, but because she could type. Lucie had begun her working career at the age of 14, giving violin lessons for 50 cents a lesson and had paid for her college expenses reading to the blind and working as a playground supervisor and tennis instructor.

In 1935, Lucie used a small inheritance from her Grandmother to finance a trip "back East" to visit with her Mother's family in Pittsburgh, PA. Just prior to her marriage in 1938 to Edgar Marshall Griffith, who she met shortly after arriving in Pittsburgh, she came to national prominence, as a ground breaker for women, when a business essay she wrote as part of a contest conducted by Forbes Magazine, was selected over 758 other entrants, all male. Her arrival in New York City to receive her award and expenses paid week in the city was met with much hand wringing as the Forbes Magazine men discovered her gender for the first time and tried to decided what to do with a woman contest winner. The CEO of the company, Mr. Forbes himself, put a stop to the grumbling and made a public statement that "woman or not, she was proof of the best and brightest and would get her prize and the national recognition she so well deserves.".

After her marriage in November, 1938, she and her new husband, Marshall, set up housekeeping in Johnstown, PA where Marshall was the project manager for the flood wall project underway in a city famous for its devastating floods. It took Lucie less than six months to begin making her mark as a volunteer leader, trainer, board member, vice president, executive trainer and president Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. in Johnstown. She was also a board member for the Cambria City Mission, the Johnstown Symphony Auxiliary, Johnstown Youth Association all while finding time to play the violin in the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra. In 1945, she took a year off to have her only child, Sara Leslie Griffith, and worked hard at bringing scouting to the small mining towns that dotted the landscape in and around Cambria County. Lucie fought prejudice all her life and she always felt her crowning achievement was establishing the first troop for African American young girls. She became the Executive Director of the Johnstown Girl Scout Council in 1951. In 1961, now a young widow, she became the Executive Director of the Buffalo and Erie County Girl Scout Council, NY. In 1966, she was tapped to head the Bureau of Wages and Standards at National Headquarters in New York City. She left New York to begin her quest to return to California with a stop as Executive Director of the Northwest Cook County, Illinois council from 1968-1970 and in 1970 she joined the Spanish Trails Girl Scout Council, Pomona, California. After her retirement in 1975, she returned to scouting as the Interim Director, Two Rivers G.S. Council in Quincy, Illinois until they could hire a permanent director.

She continued her public service as a Member of the Quota Club, the Century Club of Buffalo, NY, charter member of the NAACP and active civil rights worker, the American Association of University Women, the Buffalo Philharmonic Auxiliary, as a volunteer for alcohol rehabilitation programs, a member of the Society of Personnel Women and member and officer of the Des Plaines and Pomona Soroptomist Clubs. She was a member and officer of the Chino Art Association, she recorded text books for the blind at the Claremont Center and volunteered for the California Literacy Campaign through the Chino Library, teaching adults to read. In retirement, she worked as a census enumerator and during tax season, as a preparer for H&R Block.

Lucie's retirement years were ones spent traveling with her daughter and friends, visiting her family, playing bridge, painting, loving the computer age, and staying active. When Ronald Reagan was elected President, she took it as a personal challenge (they were the same age), and vowed, "if he can be that active, so can I." Her words during the week long Reagan funeral were, "I won!".

Lucie is survived by her Daughter, Sara Leslie Griffith of Murrieta, CA, Grandson David Marshall Jacoby and his partner Penny of Murrieta, CA, Granddaughter Victoria Huggins and Greatgranddaughter, Jessica (age 13) of Kissimmee, FL, Nephew Robert L'Hommedieu of Placentia, CA, Nieces Susan L'H. Kalhoefer of Missouri, Maureen Murtaugh of Danville, CA and Martha Adams of Pittsburgh, PA. She was preceded in death by her parents, William Peryn and Sara (Young) L'Hommedieu, her brothers, Alfred and William R. L'Hommedieu, her sister, Annalene Hervey Callendar, and her husband, Edgar Marshall Griffith.

requested that there be no funeral or formal gathering after her passing. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, any donations be given to the Talus Rock Council, Johnstown, PA. to establish camperships for needy girls or to the Parkinson Foundation in honor of Lucie's oldest and dearest friend, Helen Sellers. Private internment September 7, 2004, Forest Lawn, Covina Hills, CA.

Sources

1. ↑ Source: #S40 Certificate #124075-10 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
2. ↑ Source: #S65 May 1937 issue obtained from the library archives of Westinghouse, Pittsburgh, PA. Certainty: 3
3. ↑ Source: #S41 Information received from living source, Lucile E. (L'Hommedieu) Griffith.
4. ↑ Source: #S72 Marriage announcement, Wilkinsburg Press, 20 November 1938.
5. ↑ Source: #S75 Clerk of the Orphan's Court, County of Allegheny, Pennsylvania, 22204 Series G.

• Source: S40 Birth Certificate
• Source: S41 Personal Knowledge of Living Source
• Source: S65 Inhouse publication, Westinghouse Magazine (Westinghouse Corporation, Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA.) "Why I Like to Work for My Company" won first prize in a contest conducted by "Forbes," a national periodical published by B.C. Forbes. The prize, 0, was presented to Miss L'Hommedieu of the East Pittsburgh Works [Westinghouse], at a luncheon held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York. A.W. Robertson and F.A. Merrick were present at the luncheon to receive a silver cup, an award offered to the company whose employe won first prize. In announcing the contest several months ago, Mr. Forbes stated that its purpose was to learn what employes think of their employers, and to show what employer qualities and policies appeal most to employes. More than 750 papers, written by employes in every state in the Union, were entered in the contest. It is intereting to note that the type of employer-employe relations most desired by representative employes throughout the Nation, as indicated by an analysis of all papers submitted, has been fostered by Westinghouse for many years.