Rusby John

Fast Facts

Type of person	Family
Also known as:	John
Date of birth	1871
Place of birth	Gawler
Principal occupation	Drover/Boundary rider
Date of death	1952
Place of death	Gawler

John Rusby, the second son of William Rusby, was born on 16 September, 1871. As a young man he was evidentially a handful, and was sent to his Grandfather's residence at Yongala where he worked as a boundary rider. Here he met Mary McCormack, as she was the daughter of Michael McCormack, the manager of the station. John travelled 30 miles to Old Canowie Station to court her, and they were married on the station on April 18th, 1900. They then moved to Gawler where they lived on Adelaide road. Mary died on the 15th January, 1917, at the early age of 39, leaving four children for John to care for.

Born in 1901, Clarence Edward was the first child of John and Mary, but sadly died from appendicitis in 1909. They also had four more children; Kathleen Mary Doreen (Mrs Zerna) (1903-1987), Robert John Maxwell 'Jack' (1905-1976), Florence (Mrs Jack Cooper) (1907-1933), and Melva Francis Clare (Mrs Parnell) (1911-2004).

The story of how John and Mary met was rather humorous; John was walking down the street when approached by Mary, who was evidently a Salvation Army member at that time. She asked, "Brother, how is your soul?", to which John replied as he lifted his shoe, "Fine, sister, how's yours?". She replied, "I didn't mean that soul, I mean your other soul.", to which John lifted his other shoe and said, "Oh, that's fine, too, sister.".

John had a long and varied life, droving sheep across the Murray into Victoria, driving a covered wagon interstate, working on Rigg's property in Gawler, and later he operated the stationary steam engine at May Bros. Foundry. The love of horses always remained with him, and he would take Brenton Rusby, his grandson, rabbiting with his ferrets, and blasting trees on Rigg's property in his horse and buggy, which he still had well into old age.

Following an accident between a car and his horse and buggy, his health slowly declined, and he passed away on 16 October, 1952, at the age of 81. He was laid to rest in the Willaston cemetery with his wife, and his young son, Clarrie.

References

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