Lucille A. Ervin

Lucille Ervin, 103-year-old longtime Vinita resident, passed away Saturday, October 19th, 2024, in Salina, Oklahoma. She was born January 19, 1921, in Pensacola, Oklahoma, to Boyd and Lottie (Russell) Adams. Lucille attended and graduated from Springhill Public Schools in Kansas. She married Ben Simmons and the two were married until Ben and their son, Stan, were killed in a plane crash while on a fishing trip on the White River in Arkansas. She later met Alvie Ervin at church, and she knew she would marry him the first time she touched his hand. The two were married on March 24, 1969, in Tulsa. 

Lucille was a faithful member of the Community of Christ Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She was ordained an Elder on March 29, 1987, and later ordained to the office of High Priest in April 1995. She worked for the Railroad Retirement Board and later worked for the Children’s Medical Center in Tulsa as a medical records librarian. 

Lucille was an avid quilter and made numerous beautiful quilts over the years with dedication and love. Now, these quilts are treasured heirlooms to her family and friends who received them. She also loved to cook and bake and always looked forward to the annual family New Year’s Day fried pie baking held at her great-niece Brenda’s home in Pryor. A social person, Lucille loved to travel and dance as well and was known to “sneak out” to attend dances as a child so her brother Si would not harass her about the boys she was dancing with. 

Growing up on a farm in Kansas, Lucille learned how to work and live off the land. Having homegrown vegetables and fresh beef was simply a way of life for her. She believed that eating well, staying active and exercise were key factors for a long and full life. In fact, Lucille mowed and weed-eated her own lawn well into her late nineties. Lucille also worked puzzles and crossword puzzles to keep her mind sharp. Most importantly, her family and faith were the most important aspects of her life. Regardless of the trials she faced, God always saw her through. 

Lucille is survived by her son, Allen Ervin of Owasso; five grandchildren, Brett, Michael, Ryan, Tamara, and Charles; ten great-grandchildren; five great-great grandchildren; and numerous other relatives and friends. 

She was preceded in death by her husbands Ben Simmons and Alvie Ervin; sons, Alan McAnally, Stan Simmons, and Gary Ervin; two grandchildren, Bruce McAnally, and Bryan McAnally; parents; and her siblings, Ray Adams, Si Adams, and Mamie Wheeler. 

The family will receive friends Thursday, October 24, 2024, from 4:00-6:00 P.M. at Luginbuel Funeral Home. Inurnment will follow later in Floral Haven Cemetery in Tulsa. Online condolences may be made at www.honoringmemoriesvinita.com or on the funeral home Facebook page. 

Arrangements are in the care of Luginbuel Funeral Home of Vinita. “Family owned. Locally operated.”