Lucille Mae Vest

Lucille Mae Vest, of Groesbeck, passed away at home on Sunday, April 22, 2018, at age 89. Visitation will be Wednesday, April 25, 2018 from 6:00-8:00 P.M. at Groesbeck Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 3:00 P.M. on Thursday, April 26, 2018 in the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel, with Dr. Johnny Pearson of the Bethel Baptist Church officiating.   Burial will follow in Lost Prairie Cemetery. Pallbearers will be John Zakrzewski, Chris Sherrod, Kyle Robinett, Taylor Kitchens, Kenneth Carpenter, and Colton Robinett.   Honorary pallbearers are Marty Robinett, Marvin Vera, and Daniel McNutt. Lucille was born August 28, 1928 to Fred Harmon and Evelyn King Harmon in Mansfield, Ohio. When she got out of school, she went to work for F. W. Woolworth Co. five and dime department stores in Ohio.  During her career she was manager of the food service department, and she was transferred from Ohio to Dallas, then to Waco, and then to Corsicana.  She worked for them until the company went out of business, so she had seen many BLT’s and other Woolworths lunch counter specials in her years of work.   She then retired after working at least ten to fifteen more years at Mexia State School in food service. Lucille was united in marriage with Melvin Vest on April 5, 1969, and they lived in the house she already owned on Fort Parker road out of Groesbeck.   She was a member of Bethel Baptist Church in Groesbeck.     Lucille and Melvin turned their property into a Christmas-time fairy tale showplace for many years with the outdoor lights and decorations they put up, starting their work in September or October each year.  Before so many people decorated this much in town, there would be a constant stream of cars down the road in front of their house for months to see the Christmas lights. Melvin would sit outside dressed as Santa and pass out candy to everyone (except one great grandchild  who was scared of him in his Santa suit.)  They received awards and thanks from the community for their Christmas displays.  The family has great memories of Christmas meals at Lucille’s home, with her good cooking, and especially her smothered steak, macaroni and cheese and maple fudge.   She and the family picked mushrooms from the field behind her house for her to fry up and eat.  She canned many jars of vegetables they had raised in their garden.  She and the daughters and grandchildren worked together making and decorating Christmas cookies.    Finally, the size the family outgrew the small house for family gatherings. Lucille was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Mary Chris; sister, Jane Tillery; brother, George Harmon; son-in-law, E. J. Kitchens; granddaughter, Lesley Kitchens May; great grandson, Cody Robinett; and great grandson, John David Caldwell. She is survived by her daughter, Bonnie Kitchens of Groesbeck; daughter and son-in-law, Gale and Gene Robinett of Groesbeck; granddaughters, Bobbie Hall of Wortham and Lisa Caldwell of Riesel; grandsons, Marty Robinett of Groesbeck and Kevin Robinett and his wife Raven of Groesbeck; twelve great grandchildren; and twenty-one great-great grandchildren, plus nieces and nephews and other extended family.