Anna Laverne Lucas

Anna LaVerne Lucas, 92, of St. Peters, Missouri, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 18, 2016 at Barnes Jewish Hospital, St. Peters. LaVerne was the daughter of the late Raymond Ryan and Veronica (Gallagher) Ryan, and so was Irish to the core. In July, 1948, at St. Louis, Missouri, she married James (Lefty) Earl Lucas, a decorated World War II veteran who preceded her in death on November 12, 1981.

LaVerne is survived by her four sons, James Lucas and wife, Pamela, of Prairie Village, Kansas; John Lucas and wife, Charlene, of O'Fallon, Missouri; Daniel Lucas of St. Peters, Missouri; and Timothy Lucas and wife, Tami, of Wentzville, Missouri. She is also survived by 11 Grandchildren, 16 Great-Grandchildren, a brother-in-law, Kenneth Lucas, of High Ridge, Missouri, and many nieces and nephews with their families.

Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by her daughter, Mary Patricia Buecker; her parents, Raymond and Veronica; a brother, Robert Ryan; a sister, Elizabeth Ryan Flatbush; her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Ernest and Anna Frey Lucas; a sister-in-law, Mary Ann Sandstedt; and a great-grandson, Eric Buecker.

LaVerne's favorite saying was, "You can't keep the Irish down." She loved music, singing, and dancing. She sang with the Sweet Adelines, and performed with them on the main stage of the Grand Ole Opry. Her favorite song was "I did it my way" (and she did). She loved everything Irish, and so you could always "get her" with "My Wild Irish Rose," "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," and many more. At her 92nd birthday party in February, we had a barbershop quartet (dressed in green of course) singing all of the old Irish songs. She said it was her best birthday ever.

Her main role, her job and her pastime and her pleasure, was to be a mother (and grandmother and great-grandmother). Tim says that her devotion to her children was "fierce." She could criticize us, but no one else could. And she seemed to "adopt" everyone she met along the way. She was a great pray-er, always sending up prayers for family and friends, and was convinced that God heard all of her prayers. She believed unwaveringly in God, and knew him to be her friend as well as savior. Her favorite Bible verse was Psalm 23, and now she gets to meet that Shepherd in person.

Calling hours will be held at Newcomer Funeral Home, 837 Mid Rivers Mall Drive, Saint Peters, Missouri on Friday May 20, 2016 from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. A funeral service will be held Saturday May 21, 2016 at 10:00 am at Newcomer Funeral Home. Interment will follow the service at Calvary Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the ASPCA, as LaVerne loved animals, including last of all her beloved Mickey Flynn.