Annetta Lusiak Obituary

Annetta Lusiak
Born: May 2, 1917 in Cumberland, MD
Died: May 6, 2025 in Dekalb, IL
M. Annetta Lusiak aka our beloved Grammie recently celebrated her 108th (108th!) birthday surrounded by family before passing peacefully in her sleep just four days later. Annetta was born in 1917 in rural Cumberland, Maryland. The third oldest of 9 children - five brothers & three sisters - she survived them all. Annetta worked as a textile machine operator in a factory for many years as a young woman. In January 1944, she married Eugene Lusiak & they were married for 60 years before he died in 2004. Annetta met Gene in the US Army during World War II, where they both very proudly served. Annetta specifically served in the Women's Army Corps from August 5, 1943, until her honorable discharge on November 27, 1945 in Fort Dix, New Jersey, where she ended her Army career as a Corporal. Her military service was spent as a light duty truck driver where she drove mail trucks & ambulances for prisoners of war after attending the Army's Motor Transport School. While serving her country, she also received the following decorations and citations: the World War II Victory Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the WAAC Service Ribbon, & the American Service Medal. After their Army service concluded, Annetta & Gene had two children together-daughter Kathleen (Westlund) & son Martin Lusiak. Many years later, Annetta gained six grandchildren & seven great-grandchildren.
A fun-seeker, a talented maker of quilts and dolls. An expert garage saler, animals & nature-lover, an Ireland enthusiast, a birdwatcher. A squirrel-whisperer, a quintessential putterer, a pen-pal. An A+ hugger & the best mashed-potato whipper you'll ever know-that was Annetta. Annetta loved her life of adventure which included traveling by car, plane, or train throughout most of the United States, as well as to tropical locales like Hawaii & the Caribbean, plus a dream trip to explore her Irish heritage in Ireland accompanied by her daughter. Until moving to Aperion Care Dekalb (formerly Pine Acres) in early 2019, Annetta lived many places throughout her life, including Buffalo, NY, Chicago, IL, Antioch, IL, Bristol, WI, & of course, Sycamore and Dekalb. We are utterly heartbroken that our family matriarch & icon has left us, but our hope is that she has again found lush, violet-rich pastures.