Obituary of Lucille Inez Chambers

Lucille (Lou) Reder Jessemey Chambers was born in Olympia, Washington on June 28, 1920, to Ada (Turner) and Henry Reder. Lucille passed away Wednesday, March 19, 2014 at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia of age related natural causes with her family at her bedside. Lucille was a third generation Olympian; she lived most of her life in Olympia and was a member of St. Michael’s Catholic Church. She graduated from Olympia High School in 1939. Lucille married Harold G. Jessemey on June 21, 1941 and they moved to Shelton, Washington, where their first daughter Linda was born. He was employed by ITT Rayonier Pulp until he volunteered for the Army when World War II broke out. Lucille moved back to Olympia at that time. In 1954, she and Harold moved to Boston Harbor and raised their six daughters on a 40-acre farm on Libby Road, and later moved to the Gull Harbor Ranch area. Lou worked at various jobs in Olympia—The Cannery, Diamond’s Five & Dime Store, various secretarial positions, and the Department of Agriculture as a lab technician. She worked as a civilian legal secretary for the Army JAG officers at Ft. Lewis, Washington from 1967 until her retirement in 1982. She volunteered her time in many activities in the Olympia area – as a Girl Scout leader, 4-H Leader and camp counselor, volunteer at St. Vincent de Paul, and a founding member of a Professional Sorority. She was active in the Boston Harbor PTA, worked endlessly for Children’s Orthopedic Hospital Guild, served on the Parish Council, and taught religion classes at St. Michael’s Catholic Church. When younger, Lou loved to travel - taking many road trips with her friends, and exploring the east coast and Europe. A much respected bridge and pinochle player, Lou enjoyed teaching others how to play cards, and she enjoyed watching old movies, especially John Wayne. Her greatest passion was for her large family, and nothing could compare to the joy that came from being with family, whether it was an impromptu dinner with a few or the annual Jessemey Christmas Party with dozens. At the time of her death, Lou was living at Olympics West Retirement Inn in Tumwater, Washington. She was preceded in death by her parents, her in-laws (Harold G. Jessemey, Sr. and Beatrice Annie Werry), several close cousins (Reder’s, Stamey’s, Heye’s, Foy’s, Raaberg’s, Hogan’s, McDonald’s, and Faber’s ), her husband, Harold, in December 1966, her second husband, John E. Chambers, in March 1981, and daughter Betty Ann Miller of Clearwater, Florida in 1991. Her sister, Virginia Triggs, of Bremerton, Washington died in July 2013. Lou is survived by five daughters: Linda (Jay) Oen of Quilcene, Washington; Mary Lou (Dale) Radcliff of Shelton; Nancy (Bill) Buthorn of Olympia; Virginia (Michael) McCarty of Shelton; and Kathy (Bob) Graves of University Place, Washington. She is also survived by her eldest sister, Mary Musick, of Bonner Springs, Kansas, 13 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, many cousins, nieces, nephews and very dear friends. There was a private viewing at McComb & Wagner Funeral Home in Shelton, on Sunday, March 23. There will be a celebration of Lucille’s life on Saturday, May 10, 2014 at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Olympia with a mass at 11:30 a.m. Following the mass will be a time of remembering Lucille and all the blessings she gave her family and friends. Father Jim Lee will officiate the funeral mass. Interment will follow at a later date, at Calvary Cemetery in Tumwater. The family asks that donations be made, in Lucille’s name, to St. Michael’s Church’s St. Vincent de Paul in Olympia.