Lucille Weston

Vibrant, fun-loving, and even a little feisty at times, Alice “Lucille” Weston was truly one of a kind. She was kind, intuitive, and gracious with a certain way about her that drew others near with ease. Lucille was deeply devoted to her family, and although she treasured her roles as a wife and mother she just might have argued that nothing was better than becoming a grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother. A longtime resident of the community she loved, she made a significant impact in the lives of so many around her. Truly beautiful on the inside and out, Lucille will be deeply missed by all who were blessed to know and love her.

It was great to be an American during the decade that we commonly recall as the Roaring Twenties. Refrigerators, radios, and motion pictures in both color and sound were all signs of the time while all the new advancements made this decade a highly prosperous one. Amidst this exciting time was a time of great anticipation in the lives of Felix and Lily (Roberts) Jackson as they were eagerly awaiting the birth of their new baby as the beauty of October unfolded in Belmont, North Carolina, in 1926. Their wait was over on October 19th when the baby girl they named Alice Lucille drew her first breath. As the youngest of six, she was joined in her family by her siblings, Cathleen, James, Flay, Hubert, Verner, and Jack. Raised in the family home in Lowell, Lucille, as she was usually known, was a typical young girl of her generation. She attended local schools including Holbrook High School, and her favorite subject was spelling. After graduating from high school, Lucille attended the American Beauty College.

New and exciting changes were in store for Lucille when she entered into a relationship with Grady Morgan. They had known one another for years as they grew up as neighbors. After dating for a time they were married. Although their marriage later ended in divorce, Lucille was forever grateful for their children, Patricia and Bill. She was a loving, caring, and devoted mother who was there for whatever her children needed.

A bit later, Lucille met a man named Hollis Weston, and they soon fell deeply in love. With a desire to establish a life together they were married on May 15, 1970. They were great companions who just enjoyed being together. Over the years Lucille and Hollis made countless priceless memories. After he retired, they began spending time in Florida during the winter, and they eventually moved to Brooksville, Florida. Though they were miles away, Lucille always kept her family in the forefront of her thoughts.

Nothing was of greater significance in Lucille’s life than her family, but she did find great enjoyment in her work. She was a longtime hairdresser in the Kalamazoo area and was proud to have worked for 50 years. Lucille’s favorite part of the job was styling, but she also had a way about her that allowed her customers to feel at ease when they were there. At times, Lucille’s customers would open up to her about some of their personal problems, and she was an amazing listener. Also filled with years of great wisdom, she was able to offer them timeless advice as well. Later in life Lucille attended Kalamazoo Valley Community College and earned her real estate license. This was something that she was so proud of. Although her work as well as caring for her family kept her quite busy, Lucille did enjoy playing softball, bowling, and painting, especially painting nature scenes. She even sold a few of her paintings.

There was no greater gift in Lucille’s life than her family. She was filled with unspeakable joy to become a grandmother, great-grandmother, and even a great-great-grandmother. Lucille always enjoyed having family around, but Thanksgiving and the Christmas season was especially meaningful since everyone was together. Often, they talked for hours. Lucille enjoyed decorating the house at Christmas to make it festive and special for the holidays. She was a great storyteller, and her family liked listening to the stories she told from years gone by. Lucille didn’t do a lot of cooking, but she did enjoy going to the Cracker Barrel for a catfish dinner, getting a burger from Checkers, and starting her day with a breakfast of a poached egg and decaf coffee. Lucille’s family did appreciate her for her spunkiness as she proudly kept a shotgun by the front door and was known to drive fast. It was a joke within the family that Lucille could throw knives, had a gun by the door, and could drive a fast getaway car!

After Hollis died in 2016, Lucille moved back from Florida to live with her son, Bill. As her health began to decline, it was important for her family that they did what they could to keep her home since Lucille did not want to go to a nursing home. She was blessed that her family was able to make that happen until she drew her last breath, surrounded by their love.

With her gracious personality, fun-loving sense of humor, and contagious zest for life, Alice “Lucille” Weston brought such joy to those around her. She loved to laugh, but she did not appreciate if someone was swearing within earshot. Lucille was even known to give someone a glare or possibly a finger wave if she heard them swear! Someone who worked hard, she accomplished great things, but nothing made her more proud than the family tree that grew to include numerous branches of loved ones. Lucille will never be forgotten.

Alice “Lucille” Weston, of Vicksburg, died on Thursday, January 25, 2018. Lucille’s family includes her son, Bill Morgan; 2 stepchildren: Kelly (Julia) Weston and Deborah Weston; 8 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandson. Lucille was preceded in death by her husband, Hollis Weston; daughter, Patricia Bushman in 2002; and her 6 brothers and sisters. Visit with family and friends on Thursday from 5-7 p.m. while sharing food and refreshments at the Betzler Life Story Funeral Home, 6080 Stadium Dr. Kalamazoo, 375-2900. Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday at the same location. Burial will be in Ft. Custer National Cemetery. Please visit Lucille’s personal web page at www.Betzlerfuneralhome.com where you can archive a favorite memory or photo and sign her online guestbook before coming to the funeral home. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice Care of SW Michigan or The West Michigan Cancer Center.