Lucille Stephan

Lucille Stephan, 91, died June 4, 2011, in her home on Wallace Lake in Wasilla.

Lucille Agnes Vosacek was born Sept. 24, 1919, on the family farm in Dixon, S.D., to Fred and Mary Vosacek. She was the fifth of six children. The oldest was a boy, followed by five girls — Leo, Irene, Gladys, Cecilia and Sylvia. Lucille was the last to leave this world.

She shared stories about blizzards with winds that literally picked up turkeys and sent them flying through the air. There were also grasshoppers that came like a storm in the summer, eating everything in their path. She decided early in life that she wanted to get out of South Dakota and said, “I’ll never marry a farmer!”

After graduating from high school and living briefly in Denver, where she attended business school, she and her younger sister, Sylvia, moved to Washington, D.C., and found jobs. These were the war years, (World War II) and young servicemen were abundant. In spite of the seriousness of the war effort, there were lots of good times at the dance halls.

It was a terrible blow to Lucille when Sylvia contracted tuberculosis and died at the young age of 22.

While in Washington, D.C., Lucille met John Blissard. He was handsome, dignified and talented, with a deep bass voice. They started their life together just outside Washington, D.C., in rural Maryland, where their first two children were born, Cynthia and John Morton. Lucille told about having a sawdust floor and a billy goat named Julius that sent Morton flying one time.

Lucille had two more children after moving to Colorado and then Nebraska — Colleen and Charles. The family then lived in Louisiana for four years before Lucille decided in 1957 it was time to move the family. She didn’t want her kids to grow up without seeing snow. They packed everything into an old school bus and made the journey to a totally new life.

Lucille loved Alaska, even when it meant using an outhouse and carrying water from a spring. There wasn’t much money, but there was lots of love and lots of music. The whole Blissard family was very musical. John was a music teacher. Lucille sang in the family quartet and supported her children in their pursuits of music. She loved singing so that she even sang in her sleep during her last years of life.

Lucille and her family lived in the Wasilla area for five years before moving to Palmer in 1962. A few months later, the family was shattered by the sudden death of Charles at age 10. He was killed riding his bicycle home from a friend’s house when he was hit by a driver who had been drinking at a holiday party. This was terribly hard on Lucille.

Four years later, in 1966, Lucille’s husband, John, died of lung cancer. These were tough times, but Lucille was a strong woman who never gave up her determination and positive attitude.

Lucille married Harold Stephan in 1970. Lucille’s family grew overnight, as Harold had five married children, and many grandchildren. Harold had lived in Alaska since 1935 and had a small farm. Lucille had once said, “I’ll never marry a farmer,” but she enjoyed working in the garden and growing prize-winning flowers, and they weren’t dependent upon farm income. They both worked at and retired from the Experiment Station in Palmer.

Lucille was a member of the United Protestant Church in Palmer for many years. She was also active in Pioneers of Alaska, Emblem Club, Beta Sigma Phi and a pinochle club.

Harold died in 1992 and Lucille moved to her lake house in Wasilla in 1993 with her little dog, Pixie. She lived there until her passing.

Parkinson’s disease showed up in 1994. Her daughter, Colleen (now Delisa Renideo) lived with and cared for her, with help from her husband, Charlie, from 1995 until the end. Although this disease took a terrible toll on her over the years, she maintained a great sense of humor, danced from her wheelchair and sang spontaneously, day and night.

A celebration of life will be Sept. 4. For more information about Lucille and her celebration, visit celebratelucille.weebly.com.

Memorial donations can be made to Rays of Hope and mailed to 1160 N. Shoreline Dr., Wasilla, AK 99654.

Survivors include her daughter, Delisa Renideo of Wasilla; son, John Morton Blissard of Michigan; grandchildren, Charles, Mary and Laura Turcott; great-grandchildren, Naquoia and Azrael Bautista; nephew, Jim Vosacek; step-daughters, Jerene Nesbitt and Charlene Baker; step-son, John Stephan; many step-grandchildren and many dear friends.

Her daughter, Cynthia, preceded her in death, dying of cancer in 2009.

Alaska Cook Inlet Funeral Services aided the family.