Louise Lawrence Wickersham, BHS 1912

Louise Lawrence Wickersham, BHS 1912

Burbank Leader, 1990

Louise L. Wickersham, 96, died March 28 in Glendale. Born in Pasadena, she lived in Burbank for 79 years. She had been with the Burbank Unified School District for 41 years and had retired in 1957.

She referred to herself as Burbank's "oldest old-time teacher" and remembered her students coming to school in horse and buggy when Burbank had unpaved streets.

She was also known as one of Burbank's most talented pie-bakers. It became a tradition at the end of each school year to invite all the school principals over to her La Tuna Canyon ranch style home that she shared with her husband Russell, for a pie party. She also baked pies to give to friends who were struggling or sick to help cheer them up.

Her father, Henry Lawrence, purchased the Burbank Daily Review in 1911 and her mother, Ida edited the paper after his death in 1914 until the paper was sold three years later.

Mrs. Wickersham graduated from Burbank High School in 1912 and was on the women's basketball team. There was a total of 13 men and women who graduated that year. She attended Los Angeles State Normal College for two years and began her teaching career in 1914 at Burbank Elementary School at Magnolia and Third, the only grade school in Burbank. When Miller School opened in 1923 she was named principal. In 1938 she was appointed director of elementary education where she served for 20 years.

She was a member of Fleur de Lis, the oldest club in Burbank (1910), taught Sunday school at Grandview Presbyterian Church for 51 years and was a member of Chapter EO and PEO. In 1978 she rode in the Burbank High School's 70th reunion parade.

Her husband Russell died in 1987. They were married 70 years and had two boys and a girl; Orrin,Don and Marie. Don was lost in the Russell Island area of the Pacific during World War II and Orrin died in 1989, a victim of cancer. Mrs. Wickersham is survived by her daughter, Marie Daniels of Bellvue, Washington; daughter-in-law, Janet Wickersham of Pasadena; five grandchildren; three step-grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren.

Services are 2 p.m. Monday at the Grandview Presbyterian Church. Burial is private at the San Gabriel Cemetery. The Eckerman-Heisman Funeral Service is handling the arrangements. Donations may be made to the Arthritis Foundation.