Obituary of Lucille-Rita Grenier

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. -- Lucille Rita (Grenier) Guernsey, 83, a Lowell native who was an active community and hospital volunteer in the Broken Arrow area, died Thursday, Nov. 10, at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa after suffering a stroke. She was the wife of VeDell Guernsey, and they had been married since 1947.She was born in Lowell on Aug. 10, 1922, daughter of the late Romeo and Marie Louise (Lessard) Grenier. She received her high school education in Lowell at the St. Joseph School and also attended Lowell Commercial College.While working in Washington at the Pentagon, she would meet her future husband. Mr. and Mrs. Guernsey would reside in many places, including Johnstown, Pa., Berkley, Mich., San Paolo, Brazil, Lakewood, N.J., and Utica, Mich.After moving to Broken Arrow, she made many friends and was an active member of the community. Mrs. Guernsey was a dedicated parishioner at St. Benedict's Catholic Church in Broken Arrow, and volunteered her time with the Blue Army at St. Benedict's.She was also a longtime volunteer at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, where she was a greeter, taught reading to adults and served as a secretary to the ISCC investment club.Despite a long struggle with rheumatoid arthritis, family members recalled how she refused to allow her pain to slow down her generosity as a volunteer in civic organizations. She also continued to be an avid golfer. Mrs. Guernsey also volunteered to be a test subject for the arthritis medication, Humera.In addition to her husband, she is survived by four sons, Paul, Michael, David, and Jeffrey; 14 grandchildren; a great-grandchild; seven sisters, Sister Antoinette of the Sisters Providence of Montreal, Simonne Grenier, Florence Gingras, Claire Dufresne, Rita Scanlon and Jacqueline Casserly, all of Lowell, and Therese Pageua of Nashua; a brother, Roger Grenier of Lowell; and many nieces and nephews.Funeral services will be held in Oklahoma. Published in the Lowell Sun on 11/23/2005.