Lucile has two siblings:
* BROTHER - Mount Etna 'M. E.' Morris
MISSOURI STATE TREASURER - 3 terms
* BROTHER - Albert "George" Morris,
Superintendent of The Fish Hatcheries
for the MISSOURI CONSERVATION COMMISSION.
She wed Eugene V. Upton on her birthday, July 22, 1936 in Springfield, Missouri. He was a Court Reporter for the Greene County Circuit Court and a member of the Greene County Bar Association.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She is Step-Mother to three children:
(1)STEP-SON Eugene V. Upton, Jr
(2) STEP-SON Joseph Bolivar 'J. B.' Upton
(3)STEP-DAUGHTER- Miss Rosemary Upton
Lucile Upton's interest in the Ozarks dates back to college days when she and her brothers spent their summers at a cottage on Presbyterian Hill at Hollister, Mo. Her first newspaper story was published in the vintage publication, 'THE KANSAS CITY POST.' The article included a list of the names of Ozark cottages in the area.
Lucile attended:
* Drury College
* Southwest Missouri State College
She was a teacher at Dadeville, Missouri and Rozell, New Mexico.
Lucile joined the staff of:
* The DENVER EXPRESS
* The EL PASO TIMES
She served both as a reporter in the early 1920s.
In 1927 Lucile became the 'FIRST WOMAN REPORTER' assigned to the "Court House Beat" in Springfield, MO.
Mrs. Upton served the SPRINGFIELD NEWS & LEADER Newspaper as:
* a Reporter
* a Feature Writer
* a Columnist
She 'retired' from the newspaper on Jan. 1, 1964. Mrs. Upton continued writing the "GOOD OLD DAYS" column for another 20 years, and was known as "THE" expert regarding the history of Springfield and the region.
Mrs. Upton wrote a favorite Ozarks edition titled: 'THE BALD KNOBBERS.' It was a 1939 book recounting a turn-of-the-century Ozark vigilante group.
Lucile was:
* The President of the MISSOURI WRITER'S GUILD
* Honorary Lifetime Membership to the MISSOURI HISTORICAL SOCIETY
* A Springfield, Mo. Councilwoman
* Taught in the DRURY COLLEGE Adult Education Program
* Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH in Springfield, Mo.
** MEMORIAL WORDS **
"Don't be dismayed at good-byes.
A farewell is necessary
before you can meet again.
And meeting again,
after moments or lifetimes,
is certain for those who are friends."
~Author: Richard Bach
The above biography is humbly presented by
Audrey Burtrum-Stanley - Arkansas
____________________________________
The following is by a great niece of Lucile-
Winnie Lucile Morris would say her name was a compromise. At the time of her birth a traveling minister was staying at the home of her grandparents, who lived next door. He requested that she be named Winnie Davis, after the daughter of Jefferson Davis. Her mother Veda, not wanting to be disrespectful to the minister's suggestion, went along with Winnie as her first name. Her middle name, Lucile, was her mother's choice, from the poem by the same name. Though her first name is Winnie, she was always called Lucile.
When Lucile was nine her father died, leaving her and her two younger brothers to be raised by their mother Veda, who never remarried. Veda was a single mother, but she had plenty of assistance. She was the youngest child with eleven siblings, many who lived close by with their families. Lucile, Etna and George had many relatives and friends in the community looking out for their welfare as they grew up.
Lucile always said she graduated three times from high school and it is true. Her home town Dadeville had only a two year high school, she graduated from there first. She moved to Conway where her cousin Ella Dinwiddie was teaching to gain a third year, and graduated. By then the town of Greenfield had a four year high school, so she finished her fourth year of high school education there. She took a couple of years of college courses in Springfield and did several years teaching in Dadeville and Everton.
Though she was always close to her family, these times away from home for education gave Lucile a confidence in herself and her abilities. When Lucile was nearing age 20, her Uncle George Wilson had a cabin built at Presbyterian Hill near the new town of Branson in the Missouri Ozarks. He gave Lucile the lot next to his, and with her brothers help, they built a cabin on it. She also bought her first car about this time.
Her boyfriend, Homer "Hy" Garland, was a reporter in the newspaper business. They talked of marriage and she would have married him. The fact that he continued to put off the wedding broke up their relationship.
Lucile took a teaching job in Roswell, New Mexico in 1922. She went on many adventures with new friends who enjoyed road trips by car, a new way to travel at that time. Some of those friends got her interested in becoming part of the newspaper business herself.
On her way home to Missouri in 1923, she and a friend stopped in Denver at the offices of The Denver Express, and somehow she came out with a job. This was the beginning of more than sixty years as a newspaper journalist. Lucile, and other women of the time, were trail blazers in the newspaper world that had traditionally been a career just for men. She tried to take up smoking cigarettes once because all newspaper offices were filled with smoking men. She couldn't do it. It made her sick, and probably helped her live to age 94.
As a new reporter in the summer of 1923, she wrote the last interview to be published with President Warren G Harding when he stopped in Denver on his way to Alaska. He became ill in Alaska and died a short time later. Lucile's first airplane flight was with the soon to be famous Wiley Post as the pilot, during the 1929 Ford Air Tour. She reported on her experience for the Springfield Leader, Springfield, Missouri.
During her time in Branson, Missouri as a young woman, she had the opportunity to visit with some elderly members in the community. She realized that there was a generation that still remembered the Civil War era and they had many fascinating stories to tell. With her sister-in-law Verna as her sometimes driver, she began taking down their stories in the 1930's which led to the writing of her book Bald Knobbers.
Among her proudest achievements not listed above is her part in the preservation of the 1726 acre Wilson's Creek Battlefield near Springfield, Missouri, and having it designated as a National Battlefield with the National Parks Service. She volunteered for at least 20 years as public relations counsel, wrote one of the best accounts of the battle itself and attended many commemorative programs there until she was no longer able nearing ninety years old.
Lucile was also a leading crusader in preserving the home of Nathan Boone, son of Daniel, near Ash Grove, Greene County, Missouri. As early as 1937 she was presenting programs to civic groups about the Nathan Boone family and the importance of saving their homestead for future generations. She co-authored Nathan Boone: Neglected Hero, and in the 1980's was thrilled to see restoration of the home and grounds taking place.
She was honored in 1967 as the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce's Woman of Achievement. In 1978 the history museum presented her its Heritage Award. She served on the Springfield City Council from 1967 to 1971. The College of the Ozarks/ Ralph Foster Museum of Branson, Missouri inducted her in to the Greater Ozarks Hall of Fame in 1980.
Always a lady, Lucile was a tall and stately woman. She was proud of her two brothers, and adored her mother who lived with her 20 years. She loved the color pink and big brimmed hats. She always had a dog - Speckles, Little Man, Caesar, GiGi and Inky were some of them. A special Siamese cat Christopher was part of her family for his 17 years of life. Christopher loved to be brushed and was known to howl in the middle of the night until she obliged him with a brushing.
Lucile led a full life enjoying her newspaper work, love of history, travel, family gatherings, church activities, Little Theatre productions and time with friends. Her great nieces and nephews would say she was a wonderful aunt, remembering them on special occasions and giving them encouragement to reach their goals.
* BROTHER - Mount Etna 'M. E.' Morris
MISSOURI STATE TREASURER - 3 terms
* BROTHER - Albert "George" Morris,
Superintendent of The Fish Hatcheries
for the MISSOURI CONSERVATION COMMISSION.
She wed Eugene V. Upton on her birthday, July 22, 1936 in Springfield, Missouri. He was a Court Reporter for the Greene County Circuit Court and a member of the Greene County Bar Association.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She is Step-Mother to three children:
(1)STEP-SON Eugene V. Upton, Jr
(2) STEP-SON Joseph Bolivar 'J. B.' Upton
(3)STEP-DAUGHTER- Miss Rosemary Upton
Lucile Upton's interest in the Ozarks dates back to college days when she and her brothers spent their summers at a cottage on Presbyterian Hill at Hollister, Mo. Her first newspaper story was published in the vintage publication, 'THE KANSAS CITY POST.' The article included a list of the names of Ozark cottages in the area.
Lucile attended:
* Drury College
* Southwest Missouri State College
She was a teacher at Dadeville, Missouri and Rozell, New Mexico.
Lucile joined the staff of:
* The DENVER EXPRESS
* The EL PASO TIMES
She served both as a reporter in the early 1920s.
In 1927 Lucile became the 'FIRST WOMAN REPORTER' assigned to the "Court House Beat" in Springfield, MO.
Mrs. Upton served the SPRINGFIELD NEWS & LEADER Newspaper as:
* a Reporter
* a Feature Writer
* a Columnist
She 'retired' from the newspaper on Jan. 1, 1964. Mrs. Upton continued writing the "GOOD OLD DAYS" column for another 20 years, and was known as "THE" expert regarding the history of Springfield and the region.
Mrs. Upton wrote a favorite Ozarks edition titled: 'THE BALD KNOBBERS.' It was a 1939 book recounting a turn-of-the-century Ozark vigilante group.
Lucile was:
* The President of the MISSOURI WRITER'S GUILD
* Honorary Lifetime Membership to the MISSOURI HISTORICAL SOCIETY
* A Springfield, Mo. Councilwoman
* Taught in the DRURY COLLEGE Adult Education Program
* Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH in Springfield, Mo.
** MEMORIAL WORDS **
"Don't be dismayed at good-byes.
A farewell is necessary
before you can meet again.
And meeting again,
after moments or lifetimes,
is certain for those who are friends."
~Author: Richard Bach
The above biography is humbly presented by
Audrey Burtrum-Stanley - Arkansas
____________________________________
The following is by a great niece of Lucile-
Winnie Lucile Morris would say her name was a compromise. At the time of her birth a traveling minister was staying at the home of her grandparents, who lived next door. He requested that she be named Winnie Davis, after the daughter of Jefferson Davis. Her mother Veda, not wanting to be disrespectful to the minister's suggestion, went along with Winnie as her first name. Her middle name, Lucile, was her mother's choice, from the poem by the same name. Though her first name is Winnie, she was always called Lucile.
When Lucile was nine her father died, leaving her and her two younger brothers to be raised by their mother Veda, who never remarried. Veda was a single mother, but she had plenty of assistance. She was the youngest child with eleven siblings, many who lived close by with their families. Lucile, Etna and George had many relatives and friends in the community looking out for their welfare as they grew up.
Lucile always said she graduated three times from high school and it is true. Her home town Dadeville had only a two year high school, she graduated from there first. She moved to Conway where her cousin Ella Dinwiddie was teaching to gain a third year, and graduated. By then the town of Greenfield had a four year high school, so she finished her fourth year of high school education there. She took a couple of years of college courses in Springfield and did several years teaching in Dadeville and Everton.
Though she was always close to her family, these times away from home for education gave Lucile a confidence in herself and her abilities. When Lucile was nearing age 20, her Uncle George Wilson had a cabin built at Presbyterian Hill near the new town of Branson in the Missouri Ozarks. He gave Lucile the lot next to his, and with her brothers help, they built a cabin on it. She also bought her first car about this time.
Her boyfriend, Homer "Hy" Garland, was a reporter in the newspaper business. They talked of marriage and she would have married him. The fact that he continued to put off the wedding broke up their relationship.
Lucile took a teaching job in Roswell, New Mexico in 1922. She went on many adventures with new friends who enjoyed road trips by car, a new way to travel at that time. Some of those friends got her interested in becoming part of the newspaper business herself.
On her way home to Missouri in 1923, she and a friend stopped in Denver at the offices of The Denver Express, and somehow she came out with a job. This was the beginning of more than sixty years as a newspaper journalist. Lucile, and other women of the time, were trail blazers in the newspaper world that had traditionally been a career just for men. She tried to take up smoking cigarettes once because all newspaper offices were filled with smoking men. She couldn't do it. It made her sick, and probably helped her live to age 94.
As a new reporter in the summer of 1923, she wrote the last interview to be published with President Warren G Harding when he stopped in Denver on his way to Alaska. He became ill in Alaska and died a short time later. Lucile's first airplane flight was with the soon to be famous Wiley Post as the pilot, during the 1929 Ford Air Tour. She reported on her experience for the Springfield Leader, Springfield, Missouri.
During her time in Branson, Missouri as a young woman, she had the opportunity to visit with some elderly members in the community. She realized that there was a generation that still remembered the Civil War era and they had many fascinating stories to tell. With her sister-in-law Verna as her sometimes driver, she began taking down their stories in the 1930's which led to the writing of her book Bald Knobbers.
Among her proudest achievements not listed above is her part in the preservation of the 1726 acre Wilson's Creek Battlefield near Springfield, Missouri, and having it designated as a National Battlefield with the National Parks Service. She volunteered for at least 20 years as public relations counsel, wrote one of the best accounts of the battle itself and attended many commemorative programs there until she was no longer able nearing ninety years old.
Lucile was also a leading crusader in preserving the home of Nathan Boone, son of Daniel, near Ash Grove, Greene County, Missouri. As early as 1937 she was presenting programs to civic groups about the Nathan Boone family and the importance of saving their homestead for future generations. She co-authored Nathan Boone: Neglected Hero, and in the 1980's was thrilled to see restoration of the home and grounds taking place.
She was honored in 1967 as the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce's Woman of Achievement. In 1978 the history museum presented her its Heritage Award. She served on the Springfield City Council from 1967 to 1971. The College of the Ozarks/ Ralph Foster Museum of Branson, Missouri inducted her in to the Greater Ozarks Hall of Fame in 1980.
Always a lady, Lucile was a tall and stately woman. She was proud of her two brothers, and adored her mother who lived with her 20 years. She loved the color pink and big brimmed hats. She always had a dog - Speckles, Little Man, Caesar, GiGi and Inky were some of them. A special Siamese cat Christopher was part of her family for his 17 years of life. Christopher loved to be brushed and was known to howl in the middle of the night until she obliged him with a brushing.
Lucile led a full life enjoying her newspaper work, love of history, travel, family gatherings, church activities, Little Theatre productions and time with friends. Her great nieces and nephews would say she was a wonderful aunt, remembering them on special occasions and giving them encouragement to reach their goals.
Lucile has two siblings:
* BROTHER - Mount Etna 'M. E.' Morris
MISSOURI STATE TREASURER - 3 terms
* BROTHER - Albert "George" Morris,
Superintendent of The Fish Hatcheries
for the MISSOURI CONSERVATION COMMISSION.
She wed Eugene V. Upton on her birthday, July 22, 1936 in Springfield, Missouri. He was a Court Reporter for the Greene County Circuit Court and a member of the Greene County Bar Association.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She is Step-Mother to three children:
(1)STEP-SON Eugene V. Upton, Jr
(2) STEP-SON Joseph Bolivar 'J. B.' Upton
(3)STEP-DAUGHTER- Miss Rosemary Upton
Lucile Upton's interest in the Ozarks dates back to college days when she and her brothers spent their summers at a cottage on Presbyterian Hill at Hollister, Mo. Her first newspaper story was published in the vintage publication, 'THE KANSAS CITY POST.' The article included a list of the names of Ozark cottages in the area.
Lucile attended:
* Drury College
* Southwest Missouri State College
She was a teacher at Dadeville, Missouri and Rozell, New Mexico.
Lucile joined the staff of:
* The DENVER EXPRESS
* The EL PASO TIMES
She served both as a reporter in the early 1920s.
In 1927 Lucile became the 'FIRST WOMAN REPORTER' assigned to the "Court House Beat" in Springfield, MO.
Mrs. Upton served the SPRINGFIELD NEWS & LEADER Newspaper as:
* a Reporter
* a Feature Writer
* a Columnist
She 'retired' from the newspaper on Jan. 1, 1964. Mrs. Upton continued writing the "GOOD OLD DAYS" column for another 20 years, and was known as "THE" expert regarding the history of Springfield and the region.
Mrs. Upton wrote a favorite Ozarks edition titled: 'THE BALD KNOBBERS.' It was a 1939 book recounting a turn-of-the-century Ozark vigilante group.
Lucile was:
* The President of the MISSOURI WRITER'S GUILD
* Honorary Lifetime Membership to the MISSOURI HISTORICAL SOCIETY
* A Springfield, Mo. Councilwoman
* Taught in the DRURY COLLEGE Adult Education Program
* Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH in Springfield, Mo.
** MEMORIAL WORDS **
"Don't be dismayed at good-byes.
A farewell is necessary
before you can meet again.
And meeting again,
after moments or lifetimes,
is certain for those who are friends."
~Author: Richard Bach
The above biography is humbly presented by
Audrey Burtrum-Stanley - Arkansas
____________________________________
The following is by a great niece of Lucile-
Winnie Lucile Morris would say her name was a compromise. At the time of her birth a traveling minister was staying at the home of her grandparents, who lived next door. He requested that she be named Winnie Davis, after the daughter of Jefferson Davis. Her mother Veda, not wanting to be disrespectful to the minister's suggestion, went along with Winnie as her first name. Her middle name, Lucile, was her mother's choice, from the poem by the same name. Though her first name is Winnie, she was always called Lucile.
When Lucile was nine her father died, leaving her and her two younger brothers to be raised by their mother Veda, who never remarried. Veda was a single mother, but she had plenty of assistance. She was the youngest child with eleven siblings, many who lived close by with their families. Lucile, Etna and George had many relatives and friends in the community looking out for their welfare as they grew up.
Lucile always said she graduated three times from high school and it is true. Her home town Dadeville had only a two year high school, she graduated from there first. She moved to Conway where her cousin Ella Dinwiddie was teaching to gain a third year, and graduated. By then the town of Greenfield had a four year high school, so she finished her fourth year of high school education there. She took a couple of years of college courses in Springfield and did several years teaching in Dadeville and Everton.
Though she was always close to her family, these times away from home for education gave Lucile a confidence in herself and her abilities. When Lucile was nearing age 20, her Uncle George Wilson had a cabin built at Presbyterian Hill near the new town of Branson in the Missouri Ozarks. He gave Lucile the lot next to his, and with her brothers help, they built a cabin on it. She also bought her first car about this time.
Her boyfriend, Homer "Hy" Garland, was a reporter in the newspaper business. They talked of marriage and she would have married him. The fact that he continued to put off the wedding broke up their relationship.
Lucile took a teaching job in Roswell, New Mexico in 1922. She went on many adventures with new friends who enjoyed road trips by car, a new way to travel at that time. Some of those friends got her interested in becoming part of the newspaper business herself.
On her way home to Missouri in 1923, she and a friend stopped in Denver at the offices of The Denver Express, and somehow she came out with a job. This was the beginning of more than sixty years as a newspaper journalist. Lucile, and other women of the time, were trail blazers in the newspaper world that had traditionally been a career just for men. She tried to take up smoking cigarettes once because all newspaper offices were filled with smoking men. She couldn't do it. It made her sick, and probably helped her live to age 94.
As a new reporter in the summer of 1923, she wrote the last interview to be published with President Warren G Harding when he stopped in Denver on his way to Alaska. He became ill in Alaska and died a short time later. Lucile's first airplane flight was with the soon to be famous Wiley Post as the pilot, during the 1929 Ford Air Tour. She reported on her experience for the Springfield Leader, Springfield, Missouri.
During her time in Branson, Missouri as a young woman, she had the opportunity to visit with some elderly members in the community. She realized that there was a generation that still remembered the Civil War era and they had many fascinating stories to tell. With her sister-in-law Verna as her sometimes driver, she began taking down their stories in the 1930's which led to the writing of her book Bald Knobbers.
Among her proudest achievements not listed above is her part in the preservation of the 1726 acre Wilson's Creek Battlefield near Springfield, Missouri, and having it designated as a National Battlefield with the National Parks Service. She volunteered for at least 20 years as public relations counsel, wrote one of the best accounts of the battle itself and attended many commemorative programs there until she was no longer able nearing ninety years old.
Lucile was also a leading crusader in preserving the home of Nathan Boone, son of Daniel, near Ash Grove, Greene County, Missouri. As early as 1937 she was presenting programs to civic groups about the Nathan Boone family and the importance of saving their homestead for future generations. She co-authored Nathan Boone: Neglected Hero, and in the 1980's was thrilled to see restoration of the home and grounds taking place.
She was honored in 1967 as the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce's Woman of Achievement. In 1978 the history museum presented her its Heritage Award. She served on the Springfield City Council from 1967 to 1971. The College of the Ozarks/ Ralph Foster Museum of Branson, Missouri inducted her in to the Greater Ozarks Hall of Fame in 1980.
Always a lady, Lucile was a tall and stately woman. She was proud of her two brothers, and adored her mother who lived with her 20 years. She loved the color pink and big brimmed hats. She always had a dog - Speckles, Little Man, Caesar, GiGi and Inky were some of them. A special Siamese cat Christopher was part of her family for his 17 years of life. Christopher loved to be brushed and was known to howl in the middle of the night until she obliged him with a brushing.
Lucile led a full life enjoying her newspaper work, love of history, travel, family gatherings, church activities, Little Theatre productions and time with friends. Her great nieces and nephews would say she was a wonderful aunt, remembering them on special occasions and giving them encouragement to reach their goals.
* BROTHER - Mount Etna 'M. E.' Morris
MISSOURI STATE TREASURER - 3 terms
* BROTHER - Albert "George" Morris,
Superintendent of The Fish Hatcheries
for the MISSOURI CONSERVATION COMMISSION.
She wed Eugene V. Upton on her birthday, July 22, 1936 in Springfield, Missouri. He was a Court Reporter for the Greene County Circuit Court and a member of the Greene County Bar Association.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She is Step-Mother to three children:
(1)STEP-SON Eugene V. Upton, Jr
(2) STEP-SON Joseph Bolivar 'J. B.' Upton
(3)STEP-DAUGHTER- Miss Rosemary Upton
Lucile Upton's interest in the Ozarks dates back to college days when she and her brothers spent their summers at a cottage on Presbyterian Hill at Hollister, Mo. Her first newspaper story was published in the vintage publication, 'THE KANSAS CITY POST.' The article included a list of the names of Ozark cottages in the area.
Lucile attended:
* Drury College
* Southwest Missouri State College
She was a teacher at Dadeville, Missouri and Rozell, New Mexico.
Lucile joined the staff of:
* The DENVER EXPRESS
* The EL PASO TIMES
She served both as a reporter in the early 1920s.
In 1927 Lucile became the 'FIRST WOMAN REPORTER' assigned to the "Court House Beat" in Springfield, MO.
Mrs. Upton served the SPRINGFIELD NEWS & LEADER Newspaper as:
* a Reporter
* a Feature Writer
* a Columnist
She 'retired' from the newspaper on Jan. 1, 1964. Mrs. Upton continued writing the "GOOD OLD DAYS" column for another 20 years, and was known as "THE" expert regarding the history of Springfield and the region.
Mrs. Upton wrote a favorite Ozarks edition titled: 'THE BALD KNOBBERS.' It was a 1939 book recounting a turn-of-the-century Ozark vigilante group.
Lucile was:
* The President of the MISSOURI WRITER'S GUILD
* Honorary Lifetime Membership to the MISSOURI HISTORICAL SOCIETY
* A Springfield, Mo. Councilwoman
* Taught in the DRURY COLLEGE Adult Education Program
* Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH in Springfield, Mo.
** MEMORIAL WORDS **
"Don't be dismayed at good-byes.
A farewell is necessary
before you can meet again.
And meeting again,
after moments or lifetimes,
is certain for those who are friends."
~Author: Richard Bach
The above biography is humbly presented by
Audrey Burtrum-Stanley - Arkansas
____________________________________
The following is by a great niece of Lucile-
Winnie Lucile Morris would say her name was a compromise. At the time of her birth a traveling minister was staying at the home of her grandparents, who lived next door. He requested that she be named Winnie Davis, after the daughter of Jefferson Davis. Her mother Veda, not wanting to be disrespectful to the minister's suggestion, went along with Winnie as her first name. Her middle name, Lucile, was her mother's choice, from the poem by the same name. Though her first name is Winnie, she was always called Lucile.
When Lucile was nine her father died, leaving her and her two younger brothers to be raised by their mother Veda, who never remarried. Veda was a single mother, but she had plenty of assistance. She was the youngest child with eleven siblings, many who lived close by with their families. Lucile, Etna and George had many relatives and friends in the community looking out for their welfare as they grew up.
Lucile always said she graduated three times from high school and it is true. Her home town Dadeville had only a two year high school, she graduated from there first. She moved to Conway where her cousin Ella Dinwiddie was teaching to gain a third year, and graduated. By then the town of Greenfield had a four year high school, so she finished her fourth year of high school education there. She took a couple of years of college courses in Springfield and did several years teaching in Dadeville and Everton.
Though she was always close to her family, these times away from home for education gave Lucile a confidence in herself and her abilities. When Lucile was nearing age 20, her Uncle George Wilson had a cabin built at Presbyterian Hill near the new town of Branson in the Missouri Ozarks. He gave Lucile the lot next to his, and with her brothers help, they built a cabin on it. She also bought her first car about this time.
Her boyfriend, Homer "Hy" Garland, was a reporter in the newspaper business. They talked of marriage and she would have married him. The fact that he continued to put off the wedding broke up their relationship.
Lucile took a teaching job in Roswell, New Mexico in 1922. She went on many adventures with new friends who enjoyed road trips by car, a new way to travel at that time. Some of those friends got her interested in becoming part of the newspaper business herself.
On her way home to Missouri in 1923, she and a friend stopped in Denver at the offices of The Denver Express, and somehow she came out with a job. This was the beginning of more than sixty years as a newspaper journalist. Lucile, and other women of the time, were trail blazers in the newspaper world that had traditionally been a career just for men. She tried to take up smoking cigarettes once because all newspaper offices were filled with smoking men. She couldn't do it. It made her sick, and probably helped her live to age 94.
As a new reporter in the summer of 1923, she wrote the last interview to be published with President Warren G Harding when he stopped in Denver on his way to Alaska. He became ill in Alaska and died a short time later. Lucile's first airplane flight was with the soon to be famous Wiley Post as the pilot, during the 1929 Ford Air Tour. She reported on her experience for the Springfield Leader, Springfield, Missouri.
During her time in Branson, Missouri as a young woman, she had the opportunity to visit with some elderly members in the community. She realized that there was a generation that still remembered the Civil War era and they had many fascinating stories to tell. With her sister-in-law Verna as her sometimes driver, she began taking down their stories in the 1930's which led to the writing of her book Bald Knobbers.
Among her proudest achievements not listed above is her part in the preservation of the 1726 acre Wilson's Creek Battlefield near Springfield, Missouri, and having it designated as a National Battlefield with the National Parks Service. She volunteered for at least 20 years as public relations counsel, wrote one of the best accounts of the battle itself and attended many commemorative programs there until she was no longer able nearing ninety years old.
Lucile was also a leading crusader in preserving the home of Nathan Boone, son of Daniel, near Ash Grove, Greene County, Missouri. As early as 1937 she was presenting programs to civic groups about the Nathan Boone family and the importance of saving their homestead for future generations. She co-authored Nathan Boone: Neglected Hero, and in the 1980's was thrilled to see restoration of the home and grounds taking place.
She was honored in 1967 as the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce's Woman of Achievement. In 1978 the history museum presented her its Heritage Award. She served on the Springfield City Council from 1967 to 1971. The College of the Ozarks/ Ralph Foster Museum of Branson, Missouri inducted her in to the Greater Ozarks Hall of Fame in 1980.
Always a lady, Lucile was a tall and stately woman. She was proud of her two brothers, and adored her mother who lived with her 20 years. She loved the color pink and big brimmed hats. She always had a dog - Speckles, Little Man, Caesar, GiGi and Inky were some of them. A special Siamese cat Christopher was part of her family for his 17 years of life. Christopher loved to be brushed and was known to howl in the middle of the night until she obliged him with a brushing.
Lucile led a full life enjoying her newspaper work, love of history, travel, family gatherings, church activities, Little Theatre productions and time with friends. Her great nieces and nephews would say she was a wonderful aunt, remembering them on special occasions and giving them encouragement to reach their goals.
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"WIFE OF EUGENE V. UPTON"
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