by Alice Fitzgerald Wood

Page 2

They told me how my grandfather, James Lusk, went to a gypsy-fortune teller when he was a young male and how she prophesied that he would marry a red head; he said, "Oh no. No red head for me!" She cursed him and said if he didn't he would have bad luck. His first wife was black haired. Within the first two years he lost her and her first child and all of his possessions. When he married Susannah Williams, who was a red head, he had only $5 and an ax. After this marriage he had 4 children, all of whom lived to maturity; he had a sizable estate and was one of the respected citizens of his township.

James Lusk (1811-1885) built the clapboard house in 1848 or 1849. His two older children, Bennett and Naomi, were born 1842 and 1844, respectively, in a log cabin in the northeast corner of the lot bordering Bennett's Corners Road. At that time there was a road running to Hall Road along the boundary of a 100-acre farm. Later, the road was incorporated into the farm. His daughters, Charlotte and Emily, were born in the new frame house. There his wife died in June 1864 and he died in May 1885. His daughter, Emily Lusk McCormick, died in July 1910. She had 5 children, all born in this house. Grandma Emily Lusk had married James McCormick, a Scottish immigrant, in 1869. They had five children- James Bennett, 1879-1890; Blanche Eliza, 1877-1920; Edith Susanne, 1879-1944; John, 1880-1890; and Mabel, 1885-196-.

My mother, Blanche McCormick, married Walter Fitzgerald in October 1898. They went to housekeeping in the Clark Storms tenant house on the same road as Calico Hill cemetery (ed.-this is now known as Glidden Road) - The year following, on Thanksgiving Day 1899, they spent the day at Grandpa’s and when they returned they found the house on fire. A great deal was saved but much was smoke stained. What they could salvage was stored in the "east place house" and my mother and father lived with her folks awaiting preparing that house for occupancy. That morning my father bid my mother goodbye and started for town for groceries and supplies. He disappeared, never to return.

Between that time and Feb, 3, 1900, and when I was born, she had three letters from him from St. Louis, Missouri begging her to send him money to return. She was stunned and almost out of her mind with grief and refused to send for him. Her hurt was so deep. My grandfather cried and begged her to let him send the money. Her heart didn’t relent until the day of my birth, then it was too late. She nearly died that day and her ordeal resulted in her death by cancer 20 years later. Mother and I lived with her folks until about 1903 when she went to take care of and housekeep for Mr. and Mrs. George Cowles, neighbors and friends of the family. I later called them "Uncle George" and "Aunt Laura". He was born in 1832. She was a cripple – born Laura Ford in Byron in 1825. I spent part of my time at their home and part at Grandpa McCormick’s.

The open stairway in the Lusk home was the fear of all the women in the family, but none of them could get my grandfather to put up a railing. (There is still none in 1953). The treads of the stairs were worn and hollowed out from generations of footsteps and my grandmother would caress them and reminisce about all her loved ones who had climbed up and down them.