Sept. 6, 1937 – May 2, 2006
Longtime St. Louis resident LeGrande Trottman, a registered nurse and advocate for health care in underserved communities, died May 2, 2006, at age 68.
She was a beloved daughter, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, church member and friend.
Ms. Trottman was born LeGrande Thomas on Sept. 6, 1937, in East Chicago, Indiana, to Katherine and the late Robert Thomas. She was the eldest of 10 children, three of whom preceded her in death.
Always an active member in the church, she accepted Christ at an early age, joining First Baptist Church in East Chicago where she served as a pianist, secretary and choir member alongside her mother.
LeGrande was a graduate of East Chicago Roosevelt High School, Class of 1955. She continued her education at St. Elizabeth School of Nursing in Chicago and became a registered nurse. She married fellow East Chicago resident Dr. Alphonso Trottman (former husband), and to them were born three children.
In 1966, the Trottmans relocated to St. Louis, where LeGrande poured herself into the local community and pursued her passion of community health nursing. She was known to set up a card table on street corners to check blood pressures of passers by, and would encourage them to visit their local health clinic for further screening.
Many who’ve known her have said she had a special gift for listening and treating all people with honor. That gift enhanced her ability to be an effective and compassionate nurse for more than four decades. Her employers included The Visiting Nurses Association, Head Start, People’s Health Centers, and most recently, Community Health and Partnership Services (CHIPS). Along the way, LeGrande continued her education at Webster University, where she obtained a degree in Health Administration.
In between working and being a devoted mother and church member,
LeGrande was also a talented actress, singer and pianist and found time to pursue these passions in addition to being a wife and mother. She was a pianist for the male choir at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, where she was a former member. She was also a member of The Messengers, a group that performed music and spoken word, and the Persona Players, a black repertory group that provided scholarships for students pursuing the arts. In addition, LeGrande was a member of the choir at every church she belonged to, most recently Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist. She has also been a Sunday School teacher and a committed volunteer for the prison ministry.
LeGrande is survived by three children who will miss her greatly: Yolanda Trottman of New York, NY, Gerald (Angela) Trottman of Nashville, TN, and Melanie Trottman of Dallas, TX; two grandchildren, Amber and Timothy Trottman of Nashville, TN, who cherished her as Granny Gran; her loving Mother, Katherine Harrison of Oroville, CA; six siblings with whom she shared a special bond: Alfrieda (LaForrest) Garner of Indianapolis, IN, Gloria Brooks of St. Louis, MO, Bobbetta Brown of Sacramento, CA, Mary Roberts of Sacramento, CA, Paul Harrison of San Francisco, CA, and Timothy Harrison of Oroville, CA; two Aunts: Lillie Kate Curry of East Chicago and Johnnie Mae Washington of Joliet, IL; a host of Nieces, Nephews and Cousins; a loving Mother-in-Law Pauline Davis of East Chicago, IN; many Godchildren, and countless friends.
Funeral services will be held today, May 11, at Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church, 5544 Dr. Martin Luther King Dr. Viewing begins at 4 p.m. and will be immediately followed by the funeral service at 7 p.m. The burial will be held on Friday, May 12, at 9:45 a.m., St. Peters Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the Trottman children ask that contributions be made to: Community Health and Partnership Services (CHIPS), 2431 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO, 63106 (in support of the LeGrande Trottman Community Outreach Fund) or The LeGrande Trottman Scholarship Fund of The National Black Nurses Association, Inc., 8630 Fenton Street, Suite 330, Silver Springs, MD 20910-3803 (to aide St. Louis nursing students with an interest in community outreach.)
