Amalia "Mollie" Lucero

North Augusta, SC - Entered into rest on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, Amalia Cecilia Lucero, 100.

Family members include her son: Richard Lucero and his wife Julia; seven grandchildren, twelve great grandchildren, six great-great grandchildren; sisters: Louise Trujillo, Bee Conway and Elsie Archuleta; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband: Frank M. Lucero; children: Frances Mollie Lucero and Mary Carmen Linn; parents: Julian Archuleta and Amalia Trujillo; stepfather: Martin Archuleta; siblings: Julian Archuleta, Isaac Archuleta, Elosia Sanchez and Celina Salazar.

The funeral service will be held Friday, July 12, 2024 at 2:00 P.M. at The Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church with Father Jacob Almeter celebrant. Interment will follow in Graniteville Cemetery.

The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church. 

Mollie’s Century of Living

Mollie Lucero was born in 1923, in Watrous, New Mexico. Her father was a gold miner and served in France during World War I. Her mother was Justice of the Peace in Mora County and the mother of eight children.

Mollie always had a love for trains and loved hearing the whistle blow as the trains would go through Red River. When she was 12 years old her father, who she adored, passed away and the family moved back to Watrous. The Santa Fe Railroad ran through the town near the family home which was across the street from the depot where Mollie and her friends loved to play. When she was 16 years old, she met and married Frank Lucero who was the Agent at the Watrous Depot. Frank noticed Mollie was very curious and ambitious, he taught her Morse Code and how to be a telegrapher.

Before becoming an employee for the Santa Fe Railroad, she volunteered to be an apprentice with no pay until she knew the job well. That was the beginning of an amazing career with the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Company.

Mollie worked at several stations in the early years as a telegrapher and later while stationed in Las Vegas, New Mexico as an Agent. She was later promoted to an official position and was the first female to hold that title for the ATSF. She oversaw the territory from Albuquerque New Mexico to Colorado Springs, Colorado and was overseer of over 300 employees. She retired after 44 years from a career that she was very dedicated to and truly loved.

Mollie’s second career during that time was being a mother to her only son Richard and adopted daughter Carmen.

After retiring, Mollie and Frank moved to South Carolina to live near their son and his family. They adapted to their move very well and being devout Catholics joined The Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church, where their son and his family are members. Still very energetic, Mollie did volunteer work for several years and was very active at The Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church and Immaculate Conception School. 

Mollie and Frank loved to travel and while living in South Carolina they made many trips to New Mexico and Colorado to visit family and friends. After Frank passed away, she extended her travels to other countries. Mollie visited Russia and vacationed in several countries in Europe. She traveled with a friend to Bolivia to visit the Catholic Sisters she befriended at The Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church. They were ministering in Bolivia.

Mollie traveled well into her nineties and was content to stay at home and reminisce about her railroad days and her many travels. She also never passed up an opportunity play Scrabble. When you are 100 you know a lot of words that no one else has ever heard of. 

Our beloved “Little Grandma”.