Obituary Details

Cornelia Marilla Lusk

(11/17/1832 - 04/22/1921)
Courtesy of The Lusk Herald, 04/29/1921

Mrs. Cornelia Lusk

Mrs. H. T. Gray last Friday received a telegram informing her that Mrs. Cornelia Lusk had died in a sanitarium at Hillsdale, Ill. She was 88 years of age.

She was one of the earliest residents of Lusk, the town having been given the name of her family. She was at one time county superintendent of schools and always identified herself with every movement toward the advancement of education and community betterment.

She had traveled widely in America and in Europe and her house contained pictures, china and works of art in tooled metals, sculptor that are seldom seen in homes in the west. She dispensed a liberal hospitality, and many hours she spent displaying these treasures to the school children, the stranger, or the lonely little woman from the Wyoming homestead. She always did this, talking the while of her travels with the lovely way she had of conveying the impression that the pleasure was all her own.

The latter years of her life she suffered a great deal and submitted to an operation from which she recovered with astonishing rapidity. She has failed gradually since that time, three years ago, and her death was not unexpected.

The funeral services were held last Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio, and her remains were laid to rest at that place in the family lot. She was a warm personal friend of President Garfield, having been a pupil of his when he taught school and she was the first person he spoke of after the members of his own family when notified of his successful election to the presidency.

The Lusk Standard

April 29, 1921

One of Lusk's Pioneers Passes Away on Friday

A telegram from Frank Lusk to Mrs. H. T. Gray on Friday last stated that his mother, Mrs. Cornelia M. Lusk had passed away at Hillsdale, Illinois, where she had been an inmate of the sanatorium for more than two years past. One by one those who were among the few who were the real pioneers of Lusk, are passing on.

Mrs. Lusk had lived to the age of 88 years, 5 months and 5 days. For the past five years she suffered from ill health, necessitating her removal from her home in Lusk to the place of her demise, between two and three years ago. Her body was laid to rest in the family burial plot in Cleveland, Ohio, on Tuesday last.

Mrs. Lusk was among the first women to make her home in our little city and was connected with everything of an educational, progressive nature throughout the years that her health permitted the same. She was one of the first of Converse County's school superintendents, was a member of the Lusk school board for several years and a tireless worker in the Congregational church and Sunday school for more than twenty years.

Her home was ever open to the stranger, hospitality being the keynote of her home. The Lusk home being among the first homes, in fact practically the first home in Lusk that was built with space enough therin to entertain to any degree of satisfaction. It meant that it was called into use most of the time, it being taken for granted that the home was open and the hostess hospitable for whatever need that arose, from the entertainment of a minister, or lecturer, to a club meeting or a church social.

At this time when there are many homes that are open to such a need, it can scarcely be appreciated. But those, like the writer, who were on the ground, and saw the personalities and organizations that found a welcome at the hands of Mrs. Lusk, under her own roof, understand what it meant in those early days.

May she rest in peace in that great unknown to which she has gone, is the wish of those friends who knew her best.

Images & Attachments

Image

View
Image
Gravestone photos courtesy of photographer Liz Mull.
View
Image
Cornelia Lusk circa 1910- Cornelia M. Lusk mother of Frank Lusk. Cake celebrating Grandma Stillman’s 100th birthday-about 1910
View

Related/Linked Records

Record Type Name
Obituary Stillman, Sarah (12/21/1811 - 03/13/1912) View Record
Obituary Lusk, Frank (04/27/1857 - 08/06/1930) View Record
Historical Niobrara County History Bits, author unknown (est. 1960's) View Record
Historical Costlow Collection Part 1, Frank Lusk, Founder and Namesake View Record
Historical Costlow Collection Part 1, Photos Revive Interest In Frank Lusk History View Record
Historical Lusk History by Isabel Willson View Record
Historical Lusk Founding View Record
Historical Changes That the Railroad Brought Described in 1891 View Record
Property 101 W FOURTH ST View Record