Lucille C. Copperstone

Lucille C. Copperstone, age 98, died February 7, 2017 in Wahoo. She was born October 29, 1918 in a farm house 3 ½ miles east of Valparaiso, Nebraska. She was the second to the oldest of 6 children born to James Christen and Pearl Lillian (Higgins) Thomsen. All six children were born in the same farm house. Lucille lived on the family farm through her teen years. She attended country school which was 1 ½ miles from the family farm. She walked to school every day and graduated from the 8th grade there. She then attended high school in Valparaiso. She drove a horse and buggy to school all four years. Fortunately, her aunt and uncle Mary and Fred Wagner lived across the street from the school and she was able to leave the horse in a shed there. She graduated from Valparaiso High School in 1935. On April 18, 1939 Lucille married Audry Dale Copperstone in Lincoln, Nebraska. They lived in Valparaiso until 1955 when they moved to Wahoo. Together they raised two sons, Gary and Rick. She worked at Lucille's Gift Shop for more than thirty years. Lucille also planted a large vegetable garden each year that provided her the opportunity for harvesting and canning various vegetables of which her sweet and dill pickles were favorites of family and friends. She played golf at Hilltop C.C. and even won a few trophies. She enjoyed playing cards with her bridge clubs and at the Senior Center over the years. She was very active with the "Gray Hairs", a group of seniors that supported and followed the Wahoo basketball teams to all of the games during their winning streak and state championships. She gained relationships with many of the players who always had time for her even after they graduated and thanked her for her support. Lucille moved into Long Term Care at Saunders Medical Center in 2015. After 96 years of caring for others and herself, she decided to "retire" to the excellent care they provided for her there. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law Gary Copperstone and Sandra Copperstone of Reeds Spring, Missouri; grandson Tim (Cheryl) Copperstone of Tucson, Arizona; granddaughter Rebecca (Derek) Cutler of O'Fallon Missouri; great-grandson Chance Copperstone of Tucson, Arizona; great-granddaughter Amy (Michael) Richter of Mimbres New Mexico; great-grandsons Zachary Cutler of O'Fallon, Missouri, Cole Cutler of O'Fallon, Missouri; great-great-grandsons Brody Richter and Michael Richter of Mimbres, New Mexico; sister Dorothy Schneider of Lincoln, Nebraska; brothers Lloyd (Shirley)Thomsen of Lincoln, Nebraska, and Donald (Marcia)Thomsen of SanDiego, California. Lucille was preceded in death by her husband Audry Copperstone and her son Richard Copperstone. Officiating the service will be Rev. Dr. Mark Crist Honorary Casket Bearers will be Irene Heineman, Adele Jackson, Peg Erickson, and Jim Simons.