Price, Lucile (Brickner) Brown

(Phyllis Leseth)

Lucille Brickner Brown Price

Lucile (Brickner) Brown Price was born in Decorah 31 May 1902, the daughter of Sidney E. and Cora (Drake) Brickner; her parents were descendants of pioneer settlers in Winneshiek Co. Both were teachers and encouraged Lucile to be an open-minded, independent-thinking individual — traits evident in her life of interesting and varied experiences.

After attending Decorah High School, Lucile graduated from Iowa State University in 1925 with a degree in home economics. She married Maynard Wilson Brown 2 Jul 1928; he died April 1937 at age 34. From 1937 to 1941 she was employed by Northwestern University's personnel administration, counseling students and organizing social activities. During this period she continued her education and earned an M.A. Degree in counseling and development in 1940. Following a year in personnel research for Sears, Roebuck & Company in Chicago, Lucile was hired by the American Red Cross as overseas club director based in England, Africa and Italy from 1942 to 1945. After the war she became director of the Child Education Foundation in New York City until 1956, when she moved back to Decorah.

Lucile married Charles E. Price 14 Jan 1961. Their home at 508 W. Broadway, Decorah, was built according to their own design suitable for retirement living. However, the couple’s retirement was a very active one. Charles served on the Decorah City Council from 1972 to 1977, including an appointment as mayor for a one-year term in 1977. He died in Dec 1983.

Always interested in historic preservation, Lucile was chairman of a successful project to list Decorah’s Broad-way-Phelps Park District on the National Register of Historic Places. She was a trustee of the Porter House Museum from 1966 to 1978 and is presently a director emeritus. Additional community involvements include: Board of Northeast Iowa Mental Health Center, 1959-1962; Winneshiek Co. Civil Service Commission, 1978-1987; life member and on the board of AAUW (recipient of Named Gift Award, 1977); life member and fellow of Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum; life member of Winneshiek Co. Historical Society (Certificate of Appreciation, 1984); Daughters of the American Revolution; Pi Lamba Theta; and Chi Omega.

Lucile received an Alumni Merit Award from Iowa State University in 1975, and a Certificate of Appreciation from Iowa State University Extension in 1988. Lucile is a treasured member of the Decorah Travel Club. Throughout the years, she had shared her rich experiences with the group.

Price, Robert and Lillian (Yager)

(William B. Price)

Robert Giffin Price was born 12 Jan 1862 on a farm in Pleasant Twp., Winneshiek Co., the second son and third child of pioneer settlers, Daniel and Nancy Price. When Robert was about 13 years old his family moved to a farm near Burr Oak. As a young man he attended the Breckenridge Institute of Decorah and later the Valders Business College. Robert’s great-uncle Robert Giffin died in 1886 and left him a 160 acre farm in Sections 34 and 35 of Burr Oak Twp. which has remained in the Price family to the present day (1995).

Robert G. Price and S. Lillian (Yager) Price
Wedding photo, September 1893

Robert taught school in Burr Oak and Spillville, and later opened an ice cream store and had an ice business. On 3 Oct 1898 he entered the postal service in Decorah, serving as a substitute letter carrier until Nov 1899 when he became a regular carrier. He worked as a letter carrier for over 30 years in the Decorah area until his retirement 30 Nov 1931. In addition to his career in the postal service Robert also served as a volunteer fireman in the Decorah Fire Department.

On 6 Sep 1893 Robert married Sophia Lillian Yager, the sixth child and only surviving daughter of pioneer settlers, Henry and Mary Yager. Lillian was born 23 Feb 1864 on a farm in Pleasant Twp. where she, her parents and 6 brothers lived until 1892. In that year Henry Yager was