My first memory of Miss Lucille is of her living at 218 Eighth Street, Rockport, Indiana. I grew up on the corner of Main and Eighth Street, about two blocks away from her home. In the late 1950's, I had the job of mowing her lawn. I am not sure how I got the job, but it probably came from our next door neighbor, Anna Dye, who graduated from high school in the same class as Miss Lucille. I also mowed Miss Dye's lawn.

I remember both lawns had extensive plantings of flowers and Miss Lucille even had a small gold fish pond in the back that fascinated me. She later moved to Third Street in Rockport.

Every student in Miss Lucille Richards' English class at Rockport High School had to memorize a few lines from The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner. I still remember mine some 40 years later.

Lucille Richards produced many plays as the Thespian sponsor at Rockport High School over the 44 years she taught. Patricia remembers her bringing Penuche during dress rehearsals. It is a candy, resembling fudge, made of brown sugar, milk, butter and syrup which was poured over pecans.

Other high school remembrances include her telling us that she never used soap on her face, she only used lemon juice. It must have worked as she had a snowy, white complexion.

An admonishment to her students was to chew each bite of food 20 times before swallowing. After graduating from college, I had the pleasure of teaching with Miss Lucille for a few years. I would watch her in the cafeteria, and, while I didn't count, she did chew her food thoroughly.

A new teacher was hired to be an assistant basketball coach. The gym had a stage at one end for school plays and other activities. One day, the coach was chewing out his freshmen, when Miss Lucille walked in to prepare for play practice. She said "My, my! Who's that shouting at our lovely children?" The coach didn't know what to say, but the story made the rounds in the teacher lounge for 30 years.