Lucy Bramlette Patterson was born on this day in 1865, in Tazewell, Tennessee, to William Houston and Cornelia Graham Patterson.
Lucy attended school in Tennessee, and at Salem College. Her mother had attended Salem Female Academy. Lucy served as president of the Academy Alumni Association in 1902.
Lucy married J. Lindsay Patterson (not related before marriage) in 1888, and they lived in Winston-Salem.
Mrs. Patterson often referred to herself as Mrs. Lindsay Patterson. She was an active participant in the events of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the United States, and all over the world.
She was the founding president of the North Carolina Federation of Women’s Clubs. She wrote extensively for newspapers on a variety of subjects, and she participated in the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Lucy spent much of her time on national politics, and was the North Carolina committeewoman on the Republican National Committee at her death in 1942.
She had many acquaintances in Europe, and had visited almost every country in the world.
Lucy outlived her husband by about 25 years, and resided at the Robert E. Lee Hotel during the last several years of her life.
When reading accounts of local activities during the time Lucy lived in Winston-Salem, it is rare to not see her name mentioned as someone who took a part in either an organization or in a cause.
Photo courtesy of Forsyth County Public Library Photograph Collection.
