Lucille Brock Skaggs Foster

Lucille Brock Skaggs Foster was born on September 17, 1921, in Grayson County, Texas to Martin Levi and Etta Lee Brock.  Lucille had eight siblings, and she adored her one sister and seven brothers.  The entire Brock family migrated to the Brazosport area during the early 1940’s as the country prepared for the war effort.  

Lucille met and married Willie Dee Skaggs during a return visit to North Texas.  They were married in Sherman, Texas in January of 1942, just seventeen days after they met.  After he was drafted into the United States Army, Lucille followed him to five posts before he was discharged in 1946.  During that time, Lucille gave birth to their first child, Sheila Diane Skaggs, in Abilene, Texas, in 1943. 

Lucille, W.D., and Sheila lived in Dallas for a short time before moving to the Brazosport area. Upon their arrival in this thriving new community, W.D. immediately became a part of the security force for Dow Chemical Company, and Lucille perfected her homemaking skills that had begun during her years as an Army wife.  She loved to recount the stories of winning awards for her husband for his perfectly ironed military uniforms.  Their daughter, Donna Kay Skaggs, was born in Velasco, Texas, in 1947, and their son, Kenneth William Skaggs, was born in Freeport, Texas, in 1952.

Lucille and W.D. moved into the newly constructed housing for Dow Employees in Lake Jackson and quickly became a part of the local community, where they raised their family.  They were members of the First Baptist Church of Lake Jackson, and Lucille considered herself a member of that church throughout her life. 

In anticipation of “empty nest syndrome,” Lucille went to work for Younglandia’s Children’s Shop in Lake Jackson.  Thanks to the mentoring and friendship of the store’s owner, Benjamin May, Lucille was prepared to enter the work force after the sudden death of her husband, W. D. Skaggs, in 1969.  She worked at Brazosport Savings and Loan until her retirement in 1986.

She married Melvin John Foster in July of 1971. During the thirty-eight years of their marriage, they lived in the  Brazosport area until their retirement, then spent an equal number of years living close to their children, first in the Austin area and then in Beaumont. They enjoyed traveling with friends, family, and especially with their children.

Lucille Foster is survived by her daughter Sheila Hale and husband Bob of Austin, TX; daughter Donna Gwynn and husband Sam of Beaumont, TX; grandson Keane Matthews, wife Monica, sons Benjamin and Nathaniel of Concord, NC; grandson Jason Simon, wife Christy, children Cole, Natalie, and Mark of Beaumont, TX; grandson Dustin Simon, wife Wendy, daughter Caitlyn of Cypress, TX; grandson Ty Gwynn, wife Kelly, and daughter Nora of Lumberton, TX; grand-daughter Kirstie Skaggs, partner Michael Stryker, and son Jordan of Austin, TX; grandson Jeremy Skaggs and their mother, Sue Skaggs of Austin, TX; brother Manuel Brock and wife Pearl of  Tyler, TX; and many nieces and nephews.

Lucille was preceded in death by her husband, Willie Dee Skaggs in 1969; a great- grandson David Nicholas Skaggs in 1992; her son Kenneth William Skaggs in 2007; and her husband Melvin John Foster in May, 2010.

A beloved mother, “Mimi,” sister, aunt, and friend, she will be remembered fondly for her generosity, kindness, and sense of humor. 

A family committal was held at Broussard’s Crematorium under the direction of Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont. A committal of Lucille’s cremated body will be held in Lake Jackson, Texas at a future date.

The family requests that memorial contributions be made to Harbor Hospice, 2450 N. Major Drive, Beaumont, TX  77713 or to the charity of your choice. 

The family asks that in Lucille’s memory that on Wednesday, September 29, 2010, at 9:00 a.m. that you stop for a moment and take time to remember their mother.