Mary Lucille Pixley Sanders Endowed Scholarship

The Mary Lucille Pixley Sanders Scholarship Endowment was established in 1997 by Judy Sanders Halterman and husband Robert W. Gilbert in memory of her mother, Mary Lucille Pixley Sanders. Its purpose is to assist deserving young women who (1) are graduates of a public high school in Webster or Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, and (2) desire to obtain a college education but need to work because of their financial situations.

Mary Lucille Pixley Sanders recognized the need for and the value of education. Although financially strapped in her early adult years, she made certain that each of her seven children, had the opportunity to get a college diploma. Five of them went on to graduate from Louisiana universities (four at Louisiana Tech and one from Northwestern State).

Lucille Pixley grew up in Homer, Louisiana, and in the late 1920s attended Tyler Business College in Tyler, Texas, where she concentrated on telegraphy. She married at age 19 and lived in Shongaloo until 1962 when she and her family moved to Springhill. She died August 31, 1981, at age 71.

Lucille Pixley was passionate about education and filled with compassion for others. Even when she barely had enough money to support her seven children, she gave food and clothing to those she considered less fortunate than she. She was kind and gentle, a hard worker who never complained. She was a great cook and homemaker. She never sought the limelight but worked behind the scenes to help with any task that needed doing for her home, community and church. She took great pride in her appearance and loved to dress her children, husband, and self appropriately. One never saw her looking sloppy or inappropriately attired, even when she was milking the cow or churning butter or plucking chickens.

Lucille Pixley believed in choices – that everyone should have the opportunity to become what he or she desired. She realized that each of her children had different talents and interests, and therefore she did not attempt to influence their choices of careers. She would be proud that 10 of her 12 grandchildren are college graduates.

Mary Lucille Pixley Sanders would want each scholarship recipient to excel in her class work and personal life and to become all she can be.