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by Mary Humstone

I first met Lucille Dumbrill when I was working at the Mountains/Plains Regional Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Denver, and Lucille was elected to the Board of Advisors, one of two advisors from Wyoming. Each year we had two meetings with our Regional Advisors, a meeting in one of the states in the Mountains/Plains region, and a meeting at the annual National Preservation Conference. Lucille, having served on the Advisory Council for Historic Preservation, a federal agency whose mission is promoting preservation of America’s historic places and advising the President and Congress on historic preservation policy, was a respected member of our Board of Advisors.

Our regional meetings were weekend affairs that included not only meetings but also tours, receptions and dinners. That’s when I got to know Lucille and got to know Newcastle and its history through her stories. For many years Dick attended all the events with her. Lucille later told me that she wasn’t going to stop doing what she loved to do and stay home with Dick. She found a way for them to be together and still pursue her interests.

Lucille was always curious and wanted to experience everything. I remember when we attended the National Preservation Conference in Savannah, and one of the entertainment offerings was a drag show. Lucille, somewhat sheepishly, asked if I wanted to go with her. I hadn’t been planning to attend but I thought, if Lucille wants to do this, so do I! We had such fun together that evening.

In 2025, I finally had a chance to visit Lucille in her lovely home. It was Historic Preservation Month, and after the presentations the first night, I went back to Lucille’s house with two colleagues, Carly Ann Carruthers and Megan Stanfill. The three of us were enthralled by Lucille’s stories which went on late into the night. It seemed that she was involved in every historical society and historic preservation effort in Weston County and the state! When I got up in the morning, Lucille was in the kitchen fixing breakfast for us. The first thing she said to me was, “You know, Dick Cheney once slept in that bed you slept in last night.” That set off another string of wonderful stories. I loved her sense of humor and fun, her kindness and generosity, and her dedication to her family, her community and her state. 

Mike Jording also wrote a remembrance of Lucille Dumbrill, which appears here.