C. Lucille (Lucy) Sanborn, 83, of Coldwater, passed away
Saturday, March 7, 2020 at Drew’s Place. Her funeral service will be held Thursday,
March 12, 2020 at 12:00 PM at Dutcher Funeral Home in Coldwater with Pastor Harold
Jewell from the Oasis of Love Church officiating. Visitation will be held Thursday, prior to
the service, beginning at 10:00 AM at Dutcher Funeral Home.
Lucy was born August 8, 1936 in Hutchinson, Kansas to John
C. & Erma (Sweezey) Sims. Her family
moved to Southern Michigan and it was there that she met Blaine Snyder, whom
she married on June 11, 1955. Blaine and
Lucy lived in Coldwater, spending many of their years together raising their
family on a small farm. They divorced
after approximately twenty years of marriage.
Lucy married Burton Michael Sanborn on January 26, 1980 in Coldwater,
spending many happy years together. Both
Blaine and Michael preceded her in death, and she was also preceded in death by
her brothers and sisters, Jack Sims, Charlotte Bowen, Alwilda Fields, and
George Sims.
Lucy spent her entire life caring for others. She lost her mother when she was in the
second grade, and began caring for her siblings from that time forward. While raising her own family, she also cared for
her in-laws as their health failed, her siblings as they faced health issues in
adulthood, her nieces and nephews, and any other person who crossed her path
and needed a helping hand.
While caring for her family, Lucy spent the majority of her
career also caring for Branch County’s children. Lucy began working for the Branch
Intermediate School District in 1974 in the Special Education Department, then moving
to the Head Start Program to serve as a Teacher’s Aid. In 1978 she became the Parent Involvement
Coordinator, and in 1979 the program Director.
Lucy served as Director until her retirement in 1995, growing the
program from enrolling 60 children at one site, to enrolling 350 children at
five sites. Lucy’s passion was caring
for children, and she cared deeply about the students in the Head Start
Program.
When Lucy’s boys were young, she served as a volunteer in
Coldwater’s Cub Scout Program, earning “The Silver Fawn” award, their highest
honor. Lucille also served on the
Coldwater School Board of Education for eleven years, during which she became
the first female Board President. She
was an avid Horticulturist who loved gardening and flowers and was actively
involved in the Coldwater Area Garden Club. Lucy was devoted to her work with the American
Red Cross, organizing blood drives for many years. Lucy also had a huge heart for animals, being
especially fond of cats and birds.
Lucy
is survived by her children; her four sons, Blaine (Toni) Snyder of Angola, IN,
Kit (Rickalene) Snyder of South Haven, Rusty (Stacey) Snyder of Grand Rapids,
and Brett (Amy) Snyder of Bronson, and also Penny Stephens of Coldwater,
Michelle (Michael) Richardson of Cecilia, KY, and Marc (Michelle) Sanborn of
Elizabethtown, KY. She is survived by
many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
