Henry Lusk

Services for Henry Lusk are pending at Ballard Funeral home. Mr. Lusk passed away on June 30, 2011at the age of 89. Henry was born October 30, 1921, on the family farm just outside Hagerman, becoming the twelfth child in a very unique family. Both his parents were widowed at the time of their marriage. Henry was the first of six children born to this blended family. At the time of his birth he joined four half brothers and two half sisters from his Dads side of the family, the children of Oliver and Sina Lusk. There were four half brothers and one half sister from his Mothers side, the children of Florence and Allen Harris. At the age of 16 he left home, joining his oldest brother doing farm work, digging earthen tanks on ranches, and building irrigation reservoirs on farms from Roswell to Artesia using teams of horses and fresnoes. In 1940, at 18 years of age he married Vera Lee Hefner at the Chaves County Courthouse. In 1945 he moved his wife and daughter to Floyd, New Mexico where he rented his parents farm and farmed for two years before moving back to the Pecos Valley. After moving to Roswell in April 1947 he bought a set of carpenters tools and embarked on a new occupation that he followed for the next thirty eight years. He worked for Brackeen Construction Company for thirty years, serving as foreman more than twenty. He supervised the construction of custom homes in the Roswell area in Artesia, Carrizozo, Ruidoso, Tatum and on numerous farms and ranches in the surrounding area as well as the housing and shop buildings for the fish hatchery on the Apache Reservation at Mescalero commercial buildings including the Broadmore Shopping Center, Roswell Chamber of Commerce Building, Valley Bank of Commerce, Fire Station 3 on North Garden, Wise Choice Real Estate Office, Fat Mans Beef Jerky, the Roswell Girls Club, the Carrizozo Elementary School and the Carrizozo Fire Station.
Upon retirement in 1987, Henry and Vera travelled extensively, towing a series of travel trailers through almost every state in the in the nation, visiting museums and various family members from both sides of their extended family. They established a tradition of spending the month of August each year camping in the Mayhill area where they made many new friends. When Henry and Vera moved to Roswell in 1947 they established membership in North Hill Church of Christ, which would later become West Alameda Church of Christ. They both remained active members of this congregation as long as their health permitted.
He is survived by one brother Wendell Lusk and his wife Reva and one sister, Corine Lusk Buckelew, both of Medford, Oregon. Also surviving are two children Helen Lusk McDonald and her husband Louis of Roswell their three sons Ceyl and Cara McDonald of Bandera, Texas Kelly and Angela McDonald and their children Kate and Jack and Chris and Lisa McDonald and son Justin all of Roswell. His son, Earl Lusk and his wife Betty and their two sons Jeremy and Kim Lusk and daughters Natalie and Brenna and Josh and Kelli Lusk and son Kaleb are all Roswell residents.
Henry was preceded in death by his wife Vera his parents eight brothers Elvin Lusk, Wesley Lusk, Arthur Lusk, Wilburn Lusk, Ernest Harris, Travis Harris, Dennis Harris, and Lewis Harris seven sisters Roma Lusk Smith, Lillian Lusk Evans, Belma Lusk, Leora Harris Meyers, Inez Lusk Campbell, Birdie Lusk and Tressie Lusk Crossland.
Memorial services are scheduled for 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, July 5 at West Alameda Church of Christ with burial following immediately at South Park Cemetery. His five grandsons and one great grandson will serve as pallbearers.
The family is grateful to the staff of La Villa Assisted Living and Memory Care of Roswell, for the care and attention Henry has received in recent months.
Friends and family wishing to make donations in his memory are asked to send contributions to the New Mexico Christian Childrens Home, 1356 NM Hwy 236, Portales, NM 88130.

Visitation

Ballard Funeral Home
910 S. Main
Roswell, NM  88203
Saturday, July 2, 2011
12:00 to 5:00

Service

Funeral Service

West Alameda Church of Christ
2807 W. Alameda
Roswell, NM  88203
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
10:00 am

Cemetery

South Park Cemetery
3101 S. Main St.
Roswell, NM  88203