Josephine Lucas Moncrief

Josephine Lucas Moncrief was born November 1, 1920 in Rosebud, Texas to Mincie Beckworth Lucas and William Melvin Lucas. She had two brothers, Weldon and John David, and one sister, Mary.  She started school in Rosebud at age five and was baptized at First Baptist Church at age twelve. The Lucas’ family doctor encouraged Jo to become a nurse, so when she graduated High School at age 16, she went by herself on a train to nursing school at Jefferson Davis Hospital in Houston. For the three years of her training, she lived in a dormitory with other aspiring nurses.

Graduating in 1940, she first went to work in Houston at Methodist Hospital where she earned room and board and $65.00 per month. World War II was beginning and many nurses were joining the military. Jo and her roommate join the Army Nurse Corps in 1941. She was sent to care for soldiers of the 36 ^th Division at Camp Bowie in Brownwood, Texas where she was assigned to fifty ill patients, all sick with upper respiratory infections. Within a month, she herself was very sick, and was treated with a new amazing medicine called Sulfa Drug. At this hospital, she met an admitting officer named J.B. Moncrief whom she married in October of 1941. At the time, Army nurses were not allowed to me married, so Jo had to leave her military post.

Her husband was transferred first to El Paso where Jo worked at a small hospital, then to San Francisco where they lived for about 6 months. When her husband was shipped to the South Pacific, Jo returned to Houston to live with an Aunt and did Private Duty Nursing. Her daughter, Mary Jo, was born December 17, 1942 and Jo’s mother came to help with the new baby. Jo went back to nursing and her Aunt cared for Mary Jo. After the war the family stayed in Houston.

Jo’s brother in law, Cliff Moncrief and his wife Johnnie had a baby daughter named Yvonne. Cliff and Johnnie were killed in a car accident in 1948 when Yvonne was 21 months old. Jo’s mother in law Bessie and sister in law Bernice brought Yvonne to Houston by train and she was adopted by J>B> and Jo. The family briefly lived in Waco and then moved to Dallas. A special bond grew between Jo and Bessie and according to Jo, “She was like another mother to me”.

Jo went to work at the VA hospital in Dallas. She remained a nurse there for thirty two year. She was a head nurse for all but five years of that time. During these years Jo became Grandmother to Michael, Andrea, Stephanie and Paul.

Jo retired in 1980 and began many years of travel, first in the U.S. and then abroad. She especially enjoyed traveling with her daughters and her cousin Ivanne, whom she loved like a daughter.

Survivors include her daughter, Yvonne Porter, granddaughter Andrea Hefner and her husband Bill. Great Grandson Riley Hefner, Great Granddaughter Alexandra Britt and her husband Colman. Granddaughter Stephanie Enriquez. Great Grandsons Stephen Enriquez and Christopher Sanchez. Grandson Paul Herring and his wife Connie. Great Grandson Austin Herring and son in law Jesse Herring. Brother John David Lucas and his wife Velma and a number of nieces. Cousin Ivanne Moore and her husband Kenny.

The family would like to thank everyone at Town East Rehabilitation who cared for Josephine while she was a resident there , as well as Heart to Heart Hospice.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Doctors without Borders.

A graveside service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Monday at Powers Chapel Cemetery in Rosebud, Texas.