Lucette Schneider April 2, 1919 - August 19, 2018
A great friend of Caux and many of us has passed away. She had become a prominent figure in the Caux conferences. Everyone knew her as "the vegetable lady". Lucette had an incredible way of making friends with people from all walks of life and all continents, even if she didn't speak their language. For many, helping on the vegetable team during their stay in Caux was at least as important as attending meetings. She left a mark on the lives of the people she met. She would have been 100 years old next April and was able to stay at home until the end, surrounded by her three daughters and her son. Eliane Stallybrass,Caux
Lucette was a great and faithful friend of over 35 years. We loved her very much. She and her late husband, Robert, were the salt of the earth for Moral Re-Armament/IofC in Caux and beyond... Thank you for this life given in the service of others. Marie-José Orphelin, France.
Lucette was a monument to simplicity, service and commitment to Caux - one of the many people who helped create the spirit of Caux. Her work "at the vegetables" was invaluable for the perfect management of the fruits and vegetables for so many years, and equally invaluable for those who, in practical service, found new reasons to live! Thank you Lucette for everything! Claude Bourdin, France.
It is thanks to the cherries that I met Lucette. At the end of the 80's, when I was a young retiree working at Caux in the room service, Lucette invited me to accompany her under the terrace to pick cherries for the commissary, climbing on the trees (without a ladder!), which I liked a lot. It was the beginning of a long and faithful friendship that ended on August 26 when her soul went to heaven as the bells were ringing calling the faithful to worship. Lucette with on the left Edmée Botteron and Juliette Danguy She left as she lived, simply and quietly but not without leaving traces. Many were touched by her humor, her faith and her charity during the years when she was the fairy of the vegetable team. All those who were able to return to Caux year after year wanted to work "at the vegetables" as long as Lucette was there .Edmée Botteron, Lausanne.
Dear Lucette, If we want to talk about you, we have to mention your taste for meeting people, but also your frankness, your authenticity which made you call a spade a spade, your lucidity and of course your frankness. All of this made those you met feel at ease and allowed them to be authentic and real in their turn. Many people owe you the sharing that has been a defining moment in their lives. Claire Martin, Perroy.
My first meeting with Lucette is engraved in my heart. It was at a winter conference in Caux almost 15 years ago. It was as if she had been sent to encourage me in the challenges I was facing in my life at that time. Her insight, discernment and wisdom impressed me and provided valuable support. During our many exchanges she helped me to ask myself the right questions and to enter into a true dimension of compassion for my fellow man, especially for those who make me suffer. Thanks to her, I began to experience one of the 4 criteria taught at Caux: the gift of self. I wrote down each of her sentences and reflections that were imbued with inspired wisdom. Lucette was a living testimony of perseverance, patience and love. A great lady that I will never forget. Sylvie Lefrançois, Lutry.
When I think of Lucette I see a faithful woman, who undertook a humble, almost invisible task, but who played such an important role in the daily running of the Caux meetings. She did it with a smile, a strong will and a cheerful attitude that made people want to join her at the vegetable patch. So many important conversations took place around the big table as people peeled carrots and onions, prepared apples, washed salad, etc. As the kitchen manager for several years, I really relied on her knowledge and commitment to preparing the vegetables we needed for meals. She was strict and expected us to write down exactly what was needed on the blackboard that served as a guide. And if we needed to adjust any part of the menu, she would come and help us.Anne Hartnell, Canada.
It is impossible to talk about Lucette without mentioning her long and deep friendship with Canada. First, she stayed for a year in 1983/84 to visit the people she had met in Caux. She returned regularly until she was no longer able to travel. But she continued to entertain Canadian friends at her home. And until a few weeks before her death, she faithfully continued to support financially the Quebecers who came to participate in the international meetings in Caux. Jean and Maya Fiaux, Préverenges
Text read by Pastor Françoise Pastoris-Tilmant at the farewell service on August 28, 2018 in Gland:
Dear Lucette, I have already told you how much I appreciate you. This time I will put more details. Because you are: A gift: you have told me so many times: people are gifts... A model of Faith: this faith that you live in a direct relationship and submission to God. Good advice: you helped me to make better decisions. Discreet: you don't report things to each other. Direct: then you soften in the fear of hurting. Welcoming: you receive kindly, friendly, simply anyone. Generous: you share your friendship, your time, your smile, your help, your apartment, ...etc... Convinced: you have your opinions. You also know how to listen to others. Interested: you find out what happens to everyone. Determined: ... without comment. Strong: you keep your spirits up despite your great physical weakness. You are rich and tall! Which is not measured by your height. Proverb 10:7 says, "The memory of the righteous is a blessing." That is what you are to me: a blessing. You have loved us and made yourself loved by us. Monique and Jean Villeneuve, Canada
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