On July 16, 1933 an energetic baby girl, named Luella Viola, was born to Alva and Lela Lewis. Born in the midst of the great depression, Luella was the first of five children.
Luella helped with her mother cook and care for her siblings, and provided food and water to the laborers in her father's field.
She was an avid 4H member, pie baking contests and showing her Guernsey cow earned her many awards.
Her first school was in a one room schoolhouse for grades 1-6. Luella took her siblings to school in a horse drawn buggy. Her brother Vernon loves to tell about one trip to school:
"Driving the buggy to school, the horse gets spooked by a truck going by with flapping canvas sides. The horse took them careening all the way to town until someone at the service station was able to help her get under control." He said he learned some new words from his sister that day!
Joseph (Joe) Gibbs was one of the farm laborers who stayed in her family's home. He met and was charmed by Luella. He went into the Navy and afterward returned to marry Luella in 1952.
They moved to Kansas City, Missouri and had three children William (Bill), JoEllen, and Melody. They joined Barry Christian Church and attended regularly since 1953.
Joe and Luella worked in the youth groups, served communion, visited church members and the homebound. Luella became actively involved with CWF and CWU. She helped with Vacation Bible School, Sunday School teacher, worked with children's worship service, worked in the kitchen at Barry Church at their annual turkey dinners and monthly fellowship dinners.
Joe, Luella and children Bill, JoEllen, Melody enjoyed camping at Bean Lake with Luella's brother Vernon and Mary Jane's children Wesley, Stacy, Beth. Vernon took his boat because Luella loved to water ski on the lake.
Luella and Vernon and got their families together many Sundays to spend the afternoon at the Kansas City Zoo.
When her brother Vernon moved to Arizona Joe and Luella visited him often. They always felt welcome and looked forward to going to eat at Vernon's favorite steakhouse. Luella ate guacamole for the first time and loved it!
Luella's summers were filled with gardening and canning. Joe worked for TWA and took the family on trips to Hawaii, Arizona, Texas, California, Washington DC, Florida, Washington, and Mexico. Luella took her daughter JoEllen to Paris for a high school graduation gift.
Donald Scott and Luella married in 1987. Luella welcomed Don's daughter Cynthia into the family, then Cynthia's son Zachary, and later Zachary's children Mila and Parker. Don and Luella enjoyed trips to Hawaii and many trips to Arizona to visit Don's sister and Luella's brother Vernon.
Luella loved to attend the Denton, Lewis, and Gibbs family reunions. At the Lewis reunions she gave gifts to the oldest, youngest, traveling the farest distant, and newlyweds. She loved visiting with family.
She enjoyed cooking a big Sunday dinner, inviting Church friends to eat with the family. Her pot roast was amazing. She made the finest raisin cream pies and red velvet cakes from scratch.
The grandkids loved to stay at grandma Luella's house; overnight visits included pancake breakfast, trips to the pet store, library, and candy at the "dime" store.
Luella loved to sew and made dresses, blouses, pants for herself and daughters, and suit jackets for her husband Joe and son Bill. Her latest passion was embroidering beautiful pillowcases for gifts to family.
She was a secretary at Barry Christian Church and did their first newsletter. She worked in the school cafeteria, was a Boy Scout and Girl Scout leader, Red Cross volunteer and helped at the Clay County Clothes Closet. She served as president and service leader of the Christian Women’s Fellowship group. She was an active member of the Northland Christian Women’s United, receiving "Honored Church Woman of 2023" award on May 5, 2023. She was a member and treasurer of the Hanomi Group.
She loved visiting with friends and selling Avon. She would take her daughters, and later her grandkids, with her to deliver Avon orders. Her enthusiasm for sales earned her honors and 22 Albee porcelain figurines for her sales over $10,000 a year (1983 to 2007). This past year Luella honored many special women by gifting them the hard earned Albee figurines.
Luella was a beloved secretary for AMC and later Tower Property where she retired. Even in retirement she was busy working with her husband, Don Scott. They worked together caring for their home in Gladstone, Missouri, and the Kansas rental property properties and medical building.
Luella and her family survived the Great Depression and, more personal, she survived cancer. Several family members did not survive their cancer battle: her mother Lela Lewis (69), Joe Gibbs (85), daughter JoEllen Foreman (61), and her sister Marilyn's husband Robert Shields (70).
Michelle Ramer, Luella's niece, is cancer survivor also! Michelle was diagnosed at 29 years old. She had a second surgery just eight months ago. Michelle has been in our thoughts and prayers, and we celebrate her life and recovery.
Luella's cancer survival rate was 8% and Michelle's 1% according to "Cancer Treatment and Survival Facts and Figures 2022 to 2024" (table 1-2). There are others in our families who have cancer, and Luella celebrated the lives of all those battling cancer and the survivors!
We don't enjoy the cost-of-living prices today compared to 1933: $5,759 for a new house, $550 for a new car, 10 cents a gallon for gas, milk 42 cents a gallon, ground coffee 35 cents a pound, eggs 16 cents a dozen, and fresh baked bread 7 cents a loaf.
However, today we can anticipate a much longer life. In 1933 the life expectancy was 60 years according to the"1933 Remember When" book given to Luella for her birthday.
We can celebrate Luella's 90 years of life! On her 90th birthday she received over 50 cards (not including text messages, calls, and emails) congratulating her on the fullness of life and activity at her age. She was enthusiastic to the end.
Her heart was beating strong, even though her body had worn out. She passed peacefully on the morning of March 26th in the NorthCare Hospice House with family by her side.
She was a blessing to us and missed by all who met her.
Luella is survived by her brother, Vernon (Bonnie) Lewis; sister, Shirley (Ron) Atteberry; sister in-law Pat Lewis; son, Bill Gibbs; daughter, Melody Sawyer; stepdaughter Cynthia Smith; grandchildren Miranda (Andrew) Jensen, Ryan (Lisa) Bishop, Zachary Smith, Alexander Sawyer, Andrew (Linda) Sawyer, Alyssa (Chad) Keller; great grandchildren Xaylon Bishop, McKenna Foreman, Madison Bishop, Mateo Sawyer, Alina Sawyer, Chase Keller, Sadie Keller, Jaxon Keller, Parker Smith, Mila Smith, Cameron Jensen, Kylee Jensen.
Preceded in death by her parents, Alva and Lela Lewis; sister, Marilyn Shields; brother, Robert Lewis; daughter, JoEllen Foreman.
Please help celebrate the life of Luella by sharing a memory or expressing your condolences to the family.
