Let’s remember two Marple women who contributed much to teaching about and preserving Marple’s history: Hilda Lucas and her daughter, Susan.
Hilda Shadel was born in 1910, moved to Havertown and attended high school there. During the Depression, her father, a builder, found a place in Maine that would ship pre-fabricated log homes to the U.S. He ordered one, and it was delivered on a truck to Sproul Road in Broomall, and once it was put on its foundation, the family moved in. Their log home is still there, two doors up from the former ambulance building! Hilda later married Walter Lucas, and they built the first house on Lewis Road. From early on, Hilda had a passion for photography and historic places. Over her 92 years, she collected thousands of photos of sites in every township in Delaware County. She was one of the founders of the Marple Newtown Historical Society. She fought to 
preserve things worth preserving – such as the Massey House. The Marple Historical
Society is fortunate to have her photo collection documenting Delaware County in the 20th century.
The apple did not fall far from the tree. Hilda’s daughter, Susan, was a volunteer at the Massey House from an early age and an active historical society member. She wrote articles on local
history, and her passion carried over into her Marple Newtown High School (MNHS) history classes. She died far too young in 2001. The Marple Historical Society helps preserve her memory by awarding the annual Susan Lucas Scholarship each year to an MNHS student who intends to study history. You can honor the memory of the Lucases as well by contributing to the scholarship fund. Go to the Society’s website for more information.
For more on the history of Marple, visit the Marple Historical Society website and Facebook page, and join the Society to keep up to date on coming events: www.MarpleHistoricalSociety.org