Lusk, Margaret Anna (Davidson) 1868 - 1951

LUSK, DAVIDSON, SMITH, TALLEY, VAN DER JAGT, LEWIS

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 3/20/2025 at 19:24:22

Clayton County Register, 03 Jan. 1952.

Margaret Anna Lusk, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Davidson, was born at Volga, June 29, 1868, and died at 8:45 p.m., Dec. 27, at her home in Elkader, where she resided with her daughter, Mrs. E. J. Smith and family. She died on the 58th anniversary of her marriage, at the age of 83 years, 5 months and 28 days.

Mrs. Lusk graduated from the Elkader high school in 1886, and was a member of the group of six girls who organized the Elkader high school Alumni association. She had the distinction of being a member of the only three-generation group so far to have graduated from the local high school, namely, Mrs. Lusk, her daughter Margaret and grandson, Bradley Smith.

On Dec. 27, 1893, Margaret Anna Davidson and the Rev. Robert C. Lusk were married at Elkader. The Rev. Mr. Lusk served many charges for the Methodist church throughout northeastern Iowa. _____ ____ ____ ___ the ministry and they returned to Elkader to make their home, where the Rev. Mr. Lusk died in 1____.

Mrs. Lusk had been in frail health for several years. She returned to Elkader Dec. 02 from a visit with her daughter, Erma, Mrs. Ray Talley, and Family at Sioux City. From that time she gradually became weaker until she died following a heart attack Thursday evening, Dec. 27.

She is survived by her two daughters, Erma, Mrs. Ray Talley, of Sioux City, and Margaret, Mrs. E. J. Smith, Elkader, her two sons-in-law, Ray Talley and E. J. Smith;; her grandchildren, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Talley and Jane Talley, Sioux City, and Bradley Lusk Smith, Elkader; one great-grandson, William Talley Sioux City; and her brother, W. W. Davidson, Elkader, and two nieces, Ruth, Mrs. E. R. Van Der Jagt, East Lansing, Mich., and Patricia Nelle, Mrs. Cecil Lewis, of Corona del Mar, Calif.

She was a member of Charity Chapter No. 152, Order of the Eastern Star, and the Methodist Episcopal church, McGregor. Mrs. Lusk had been active in the Coterie, Elkader, and other organizations during her lifetime. She was much interested in handiwork and flowers, and during the later years devoted much time to the growing of African violets.

Funeral services were held Dec. 30, 1951, at two p.m. at the Peace Evangelical and Reformed church, with the Rev. Paul Kitterer officiating. Burial was in the East Side cemetery with Arno Gottschalk, Elmer Bente, Merrill Smith, Lyle Barthel, Milton Wolf, and Don Bandow as pallbearers.