Lucy Fulgham Hendrick Haynes

1920-2003

Birth & Childhood

Lucy Rebecca Fulgham was born on June 15, 1920, in Zuni, Isle of Wight, Virginia. She was one of ten children born to Jonah Benjamin and Mary Louise [Boykin] Fulgham. Zuni was a small rural community with a predominantly African-American population, known for its farming and timber industries. Lucy’s father maintained a farm across the Blackwater River from Zuni, but also took work in the sawmill at times, to support his large family. Although neither of her parents attended school, both could read and write. Lucy received a formal education up to the first year of high school. The nearest high school was in Franklin, Virginia, twenty miles from their home. Although bus transportation was available, the cost was prohibitive for a family with multiple children. To continue their education, Lucy and siblings would board in Franklin during the week, exchanging housework and babysitting for lodging, and returned home on weekends.

Marriage

On March 1, 1941, in Norfolk, Virginia, Lucy married Samuel Leon Hendrick. At the time of their marriage, Samuel was 21 years old and worked as a laborer, while Lucy, age 20, had no recorded occupation. It was the first marriage for both, and they lived in Norfolk afterward. The marriage lasted five years and six months before they separated on September 1, 1946. No children resulted from this union. The official divorce decree was granted on November 15, 1960, after Lucy filed for divorce on the grounds of cruelty and desertion. The case was uncontested and no alimony was awarded.

Further Education

After her separation from Samuel, Lucy moved to Lawrenceville, Virginia, where she worked as a live-in maid to support herself. She was 27 years old. She attended St. Paul’s College and earned a Bachelor of Science degree.

After graduation, Lucy saw a job posting at the Norfolk, Virginia post office for a teaching position in the Home Economics department at Chemawa Indian School near Salem, Oregon. She applied for and was awarded the position, teaching at the school for over eight years. During her time in Oregon, she made biennial trips back to Virginia to visit her family. One of these solo, cross-country drives included a stop in Detroit to pick up a brand-new DeSoto with push-button gears – an experience that became a family legend.

In 1954, during her tenure at Chemawa, Lucy enrolled in Oregon State University to pursue a master’s degree which she completed in 1961. Her thesis was shaped by her teaching experiences at Chemawa.

Second Marriage & Motherhood

Lucy remarried on June 24, 1961. The groom was John Wesley Haynes and the marriage took place in Salem at the Calvary Baptist Church. She was 41 years old, and he was 39, both divorced. Lucy was a teacher, and John was a custodian from San Bernardino, California. At the time, Lucy lived at 4752 Portland Rd. John had two children, James and Linda, from a previous marriage. After their wedding, Lucy moved to San Bernardino, where the couple had two children: John Wesley Jr. and Rebecca Lucy. A series of photos from the Hendrick-Haynes wedding are available in the Willamette Heritage Center collection, see post HERE.

Vocation and Community Activism

Lucy dedicated her life to education, community service, and empowering women. After moving to San Bernardino, she worked as a substitute teacher for the San Bernardino City Schools and later as a girls’ group director at the Presbyterian Home of Neighborly Service. She spearheaded a week-long camping experience in partnership with local churches and the Forest Home Christian Conference Center, offering outdoor activities, sports, crafts and cultural entertainment. Alongside her husband John, she was active in the St. Paul A.M.E. Church, where she was a highly sought after speaker, delivering messages on education, leadership, and civic engagement to inspire women.

In addition to her work in education and community outreach, Lucy played an important role in founding the Inland Empire section of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW). She worked diligently to help secure the group’s charter, ensuring it could further its mission of supporting Black women through leadership training, community service, and advocacy for civil rights and economic justice.

Loss of Husband

Lucy’s husband John passed away suddenly on December 11, 1973, at the age of 51. At the time of his death, he was the maintenance supervisor at the San Bernardino County Court House. Their children, James and Rebecca, were just 12 and 9 years old. Despite this loss, Lucy continued her work.

Home to Virginia

Following the high school graduation and college acceptance of her youngest daughter Rebecca, Lucy made the choice to return to Virginia. She had purchased a piece of property years prior, to retire to someday. She also had a sister with health challenges in need of care.

Death

Lucy Fulgham Hendrick Haynes died on April 7, 2003 in Suffolk, Virginia at the age of 82. The cause of death was kidney failure. At her request, she was cremated and her ashes interred in her family cemetery plot in Ivor, Virginia.

References:

• “Fulgham – Haynes” family tree by Kaylyn F. Mabey, profile for Lucy Rebecca Fulgham (1920-2003) Ancestry.com
• Federal Census Records, 1930-1950, Ancestry.com 
• Virginia, Marriage Records, 1936-2014, Ancestry.com
• Virginia, Divorce Records, 1918-2014, Ancestry.com
• Oregon, Marriage Records, 1946-1966, Ancestry.com
• Find a Grave Memorial Website
• “Forest Grove Was Once Chemawa School’s Home,” [photo of Lucy with sewing class] Oregon Daily Journal, 22 Nov 1956, p. 57, Newspapers.com 
• Engagement announcement, Oregon Daily Journal, 17 Nov 1960, p. 35, Newspapers.com 
• “111 Salem Area Students Graduate at OSU Monday,” Oregon Statesman, 2 June 1961, p. 7, Newspapers.com 
• Engagement announcement, Capital Journal, 8 June 1961, p. 14, Newspapers.com 
• Marriage application, Oregon Statesman, 20 June 1961, p. 11, Newspapers.com 
• Account of marriage, Capital Journal, 24 June 1961, p. 6, Newspapers.com 
• “Miss Lucy Hendrick a Bride,” Oregon Statesman, 25 June 1961, p. 18, Newspapers.com 
• “St. Paul AME Women’s Day Set Sunday,” San Bernardino County Sun, 18 May 1963, p. 8, Newspapers.com 
• “71 Children From Home Enjoy Week in Mountains,” San Bernardino County Sun, 26 June 1963, p. 19, Newspapers.com 
• “S.B. Chapter of National Council of Negro Women Gets Charter,” San Bernardino County Sun, 20 Nov 1968, p. 29, Newspapers.com 
• Obituary, Lucy H. Haynes, The Tidewater News, 13 Apr 2003, p. 7, Newspapers.com 
• “Delinquent tax bill gets property owner’s attention,” The Tidewater News, 15 Dec 2010, p. 2. Newspapers.com 
• “A salute to teachers for helping along a now-aging student body,” The Tidewater News, 10 Sep 2010, p. 2, Newspapers.com