Obituary
Lucille Lind (Howard) Chaffee, 92, passed away April 26, 2022, at her home in Crescent City, California. She was born December 10, 1929, in Blueberry Mountain, Canada, to James and Lavonne Howard.
Lucille was raised on the farm in Blueberry Mountain; her family grew wheat and barley; raised cows and churned their own butter. She attended school in a one room schoolhouse until the 8th grade, sometimes walking a mile in the snow to attend.
Her family moved from Blueberry to Amisk, to a larger farm, and grew larger crops. When crops began to fail and times grew hard, her family kept the farm but moved into town and opened a bakery, where customers enjoyed the freshest and best bread in town!
Lucille’s younger brother became ill, and his doctor said he needed fresh air to heal his lungs; so the family moved back to the Amisk farm and stayed until they moved to the United States in 1950. They traveled in an old truck with a huge wooden camper bolted to the bed of it! They camped alongside the road and made humble meals.
The family eventually arrived in Tustin, California, at Lucille’s grandmother’s house where she was promptly introduced to Neil Raymond Chaffee, and three months later the couple married on September 14, 1950. As luck would have it, Neil was drafted into the Army in December of 1950.
Lucille kept busy. She worked as a nanny for a family that had one child and did housekeeping. She also volunteered to be a spotter: to identify enemy planes as it was during war times. She would use binoculars to spot, record and identify types of planes numbers or symbols and use radios to report suspicious aircraft. She earned her wings; a lapel pin shaped like wings!
In 1953 Neil was honorably discharged from the Army and Lucille gave birth to their first-born son Jimmy. Ross was born in 1954, Robert born 1956, John born in 1957, and Louise in 1960.
She was kept busy raising her little family. By that time, they lived in Pomona, California. Her husband worked in Chino at the California Division of Forestry, and they decided to move again in 1967 to Crescent City, California; where Neil could work at the Klamath-Alder Camp Division and Lucille could be closer to her sisters, and brothers and mother.
Lucille and Neil purchased a house with almost 2 acres of land, where she raised her family, grew a garden and flowers, apple, pear, and plumb trees. She raised goats, pigs, chickens, ducks, geese, dogs, cats, and horses (through the years at various times.)
Lucille enjoyed playing dice, Farkel/10,000 and she loved dark chocolate and sharp cheddar cheese.
She was a Christian and believed in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. She attended church and read her bible. She loved her church family and became close to many! She felt they were an extension of her family.
When her sons married and later her daughter, grandchildren came into her life, and she enjoyed them all. She loved her grandchildren and would take them to church or have special sleepovers or camping trips or picnics or a beach hot dog on a stick roast. Sometimes an ice cream at McDonald’s or a favorite place at the time. She helped raise her grandchildren spending much of her time instilling wholesome Christian values in them, honesty, integrity, and love. As the years went by great grandchildren came along and then a great great grandchild. Though they are many, she loves them all dearly.
She is preceded in death by her husband Neil, sons Jimmy and Ross, her mother and father, brothers Buddy, Larry, sisters Jeanie, Mary Lou, and Bonnie.
Survivors include brother Glen Howard (Deanna), sons Robert Chaffee (Sharon), John Chaffee (Evelyn), daughter Louise Kockritz, Daughter in law Deborah Chaffee, 15 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, one great great grandchild, and many nieces and nephew.
Lucille was loved by all and will be greatly missed!
A spaghetti and a potluck will follow services.