A look at the historic Sussex Order of the Eastern Star
The photo that accompanies this feature was taken around 1931 when the Sussex Order of the Eastern Star was celebrating its 25th anniversary.
The club started as an offshoot of the Sussex Ashlar Masonic Lodge which traces its origin back to a charter meeting on June 10, 1874. While the Ashlar Lodge of Sussex was for men the Order of the Eastern Star was for women that were usually wives of Ashlar Lodge members.
Catherine Buck, Lula Gauthier, Ella Campbell, Helen and Richard Jones, Ida and John Small, Mary Stier and Jane Worthington made a horse and buggy trip from Sussex to attend as guests to the Menomonee Falls Order of the Eastern Star Aurora No. 84 meeting and inquire how the Sussex-Lisbon group could start an Eastern Star chapter in Sussex-Templeton and Lisbon.
The group later organized and held their charter meeting on Feb. 2, 1906. Ella Campbell served as its leader or Worthy Mason, Lula Gauthier as Conductress, Helen Jones as Associated Conductress, Richard Jones as the Worthy Patron and Jane Worthington as Associate Matron. The cost of the charter was $20, initiation fees were $3 and dues were $1 per year.
The Order of the Eastern Star is a social, fraternal and quasi-religious organization. When the Sussex chapter was formed it served as a social outlet for area residents.
The first meeting was held in the Sussex George Lees General Store's loft which was located where the Piggly Wiggly is today.
After 1922, the Sussex Eastern Star met in the new Sussex Masonic Hall which still stands today on Main Street across from the 1937-built Lannon Stone Community Hall.
In September of 1957, Lila Busse Glaser of Sussex was installed as Grand Martha of the Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star of Wisconsin. She was the first Sussex chapter member to serve as a state grand officer. In appreciation and as an honor, on May 10, 1961, the name of the Sussex Order of the Eastern Star was changed to Lila B. Glaser Chapter No. 159 Order of the Eastern Star.
This photo was donated to the Sussex Lisbon Area Historical Society recently by Janet Bigus and Elaine Sherba (need Podolske). The photo was taken at the Chapman Studio in Hartland and pictured are the leaders of the Sussex Eastern Star from its inception to the 25th anniversary. Some pictured include: Nettie Howard who was a teacher at Sussex Main Street School. She was born Annette White in Brookfield and married Lisbon farmer Leo Howard from a Lisbon pioneer family.
Ella Campbell who was the wife of a local black smith who ran the Sussex Post Office. She later became the Sussex Postmaster serving from 1915-19.
Shirley Morgan was the wife of Ray Morgan and the step-grandmother of the photo's donors Janet and Elaine Podolske. She ran a rooming house while her husband was the depot agent for the North Western Railroad from 1916-33. The depot was up on Maple Avenue and today it has been moved to downtown Sussex and serves as the Sussex Lisbon Area Historical Society's museum.
Mary Stier was a granddaughter of pioneer Jeremiah Smith and is also related to Melinda Weaver the first woman settler in Lisbon. She married Fred Stier who can trace his family roots to Eisenhower and General Joe Warren who died as a general officer at the Battle of Bunker Hill. They had four sons. Their second son, Roy Stier, served as Fire Chief and Sussex Village President and was a founding member of the Sussex Lions Club.
Elsie Busse was the mother of Lila Busse Glaser, which the Sussex Eastern Star is now named after. Elsie and Charles Busse ran a butcher shop in Templeton for more than 50 years and Charles also served as Sussex Village President and as a representative on Waukesha County Board of Supervisors.
Pearl Boots was a Sussex teacher and later the postmaster of Sussex from 1926-34 and then again from 1940-54.
Alice Kramer became the owner of the Sussex Malsch Furniture store after her father died and left it to her.