Lucille Burgess Hamlin, 102, died quietly at home on Wednesday morning, April 22. Lu was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1917, but was from the South. Her parents, from Anniston, AL, moved north when her dad, a patent lawyer, began work in New York City. She graduated from Duke, married an agronomy major from NC State, and moved to Rutherfordton for him to work in the Extension Service. They soon began developing a large dairy, Willow Run Farms, now the site of Camp Bud Schiele Scout Reservation. After selling the farm about 1976, they lived south of town. Her kitchen, where she spent LOTS of time, is where we were advised and consoled while growing up. Lu loved to sew. After the war years, and into the 90’s, she could get fine material here. She was also good with numbers. Among other organizations, she was treasurer for the Hospital Auxiliary Gift Shop for about twenty years. She never lost a penny, though she sometimes had to look hard to correct an error. She served a number of years as a Rutherford Hospital Trustee. Childhood summers on Martha’s Vineyard created a lifelong fondness for salt water. But, far from the coast, Lu, with an easy and efficient stroke, swam pool laps at Lifestyle well past her 96th birthday. She had three children, Merrill, Joe, and Newt. Her husband, Joe, died in ’07, son Joe in ’12. Lu had the unusual privilege of having all her family, including six grandchildren and eight greats, along with many friends, celebrate her 100th birthday in December 2017. Her children and grandchildren are Merrill Carayol, daughter Allyson Breyfogle (Todd); Joe III, sons John (Angela), Josh (Stephanie), daughter Janine; Newt (Susan), daughter Miriam Juzyk (Buck), son Nate. She was a lifelong member of First United Methodist in Rutherfordton, and loved her church. We will have a memorial service when it’s safe for out-of-state family to travel. The church will announce the date. Crowe’s Mortuary is assisting the family of Lu Hamlin. Online condolences may be made at www.crowemortuary.com. Instead of flowers, memorials may be made to Wycliffe Bible Translators, or Hospice of the Carolina Foothills.