The legacy of Miss Lu

Lucretia O. Litchfield of Petersburg died a wealthy woman on June 14. She was rich beyond measure in the values that make life sparkle, in the relationships that make life worthwhile, and in the years which made her life long enough to enjoy grandchildren into their adulthood and to hold great-grandchildren, imagining what life may hold for them.

She was an English teacher in the Petersburg public schools and she may have found fault with the long sentence structure found in the above paragraph. One of her sons, Hugh, is a wordsmith, a published author and a polished preacher. He admits that she never stopped teaching English when she left school. “She also taught in the home and she never let us get away with gross offenses such as double negatives.”

Miss Lu, as she was affectionately known by nearly everyone in Petersburg, never forgot the students whom she had taught. It gave her great pleasure to encounter a former pupil and to hear about their accomplishments. One former pupil declares that Miss Lu taught on what today would be considered college level.

She was a born teacher who never stopped. She taught Sunday school at the churches where she was a member in Petersburg. It is estimated that she taught for over 60 years. She taught 55 of those years at Walnut Hill Baptist Church, surrendering the weekly assignment at age 96 and only then because of failing eyesight. She never quit learning. At age 85, she asked her preacher-son to select for her a new set of Bible commentaries.

Walnut Hill claimed her interests from the day the church was constituted in 1952. She once confessed, “This is the church of my true fulfillment.” A charter member, she also became one of the first women in her church to accept the office of deacon. She had been in the choir “since day one.” She helped develop the church's library and was one of its most avid users. When her sons – Lee and Hugh – were boys, there was no question where they would be on Sundays. The family was up and out to Sunday school and church. In the last year of her life, she had a new pastor, Bruce Queen; and he quickly learned that Miss Lu and Walnut Hill practically were synonymous. “She always will be at the heart of this congregation and will remain so for many years to come,” observes the pastor.

She began her days in prayer. Hugh recalls that a constant memory from his childhood is the scene of his mother on her knees, praying in the morning before they left for school.

A part of Miss Lu's legacy is seen in the lives of her sons and in her daughters-in-law, Alice and Sarah, who came to understand their husbands by knowing their mother and father. Miss Lu also loved all kinds of music and her descendants credit their enjoyment of music to her.

Some of Miss Lu's gift of the language, the art of teaching and the love for the faith has already been seen in the ministries of Hugh Litchfield and his daughter, Lynn Litchfield Divers. Hugh is most associated with Azalea Baptist Church in Norfolk, where he had a long and useful pastorate. Lynn possesses something of her grandmother's spirit of service every day she goes to minister as chaplain at the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women. Two generations of ministers—father and daughter—descended from Miss Lu.

Lynn was devoted to her grandmother, as were the other four grandchildren. “She was my teacher,” says the granddaughter, who admits that many of the good things in life were learned from this master teacher. “She taught me to crochet roses and little angels for the Christmas tree. She taught me how to make meatloaf, corn pudding and how to measure flour. She taught me about living. She taught me about parenting.” When the granddaughter was a little girl, she was given a story book about a girl who did not clean her room, letting lollipops get stuck to everything and spider webs decorate the corners. “Grandma knew that I am still working on that part of life,” laughs Lynn.

Lynn and Miss Lu were good conversationalists. When Lynn would be driving a long distance, she would telephone her grandmother using the car phone. Their conversations continued until the young woman minister was safely in her own driveway. Once a telephone conversation stretched on for six hours!

“She taught me about the ministry of presence,” says Lynn. “When I was ordained, she laid hands on me and whispered her name in my ear as if I would never recognize that voice. She whispered words of support.” The granddaughter also recalls that her grandmother was “open and eager to dialogue about politics and theology.”

Hugh Litchfield captures his mother's 98 years as “a life well loved.” And she loved a long list of things, including crab cakes, the barbeque sold by an old Petersburg establishment, the pies she baked, the beauty of nature including the surf washing across the sand and the flowers. “She knew all of the flowers by name.” She also enjoyed seeing God's world. She traveled to all 50 states and to other countries.

“She loved God,” says Hugh. “This is why she was who she was. Her faith was grounded on a firm foundation. She was a person of staunch faith not only when things were going well but also when they were not. She held onto God and always believed that God would be here and always trusted God in whatever was to come. I think I finally figured out what her mission was. Her mission in life was to show us what it meant to live a life of faith in God.”

Her typical week was considered incomplete if she had to miss a Sunday service at Walnut Hill. Near the last, she was forcing herself to attend despite pain from cracked vertebrae. It bothered her even more to miss because of her physical condition. She liked to say, “The two things I am thankful for in this life are my church and my family.”
At the end she was still thankful. “The last thing she said to me,” shares Hugh, “was ‘I couldn't have made it without you.' And we know that we couldn't have made it to be who and what we are without her.”

The legacy from a life well lived and well loved, the legacy of Miss Lu includes knowing what is truly precious, holding fast to the faith, caring for others, teaching the Good News and putting the parts of speech in proper order.

Fred Anderson may be contacted at [email protected].