MAY, 1964 -- Pearl Hiscock McOmber, descendant of Ann Arbor pioneer settler Eber White, (who was a founding member of the First Methodist Church, an anti-slavery zealot, and a farmer way out west Liberty Road, when the road actually ended at his farm), and a descendant of Whites daughter, Maria White, who married another pioneer settler, Daniel Hiscock (another farmer, and one whose name has occasioned much mirth in these pages) -- and a descendant, truly, of old Daniel as well -- was the first person to sign up for an apartment in the 142-unit Lurie Terrace, Senior Citizen Housing, when it was built, 50 years ago. In this vintage Ann Arbor News photo, Pearl is seated at the right, facing Mrs. Shata Ling, the then-director of the Ann Arbor Senior Citizens Guild, who named Lurie Terrace after her late mother, Anna Lurie. (Mrs. Ling spearheaded the monumental construction project from the get-go.) The woman standing at left was Ellen Koyle, first manager of the building. Frank Wilhelme and I, eager-beaver budding historians at the time, conducted an oral history interview with Mrs. McOmber and her sister-in-law, Florence Hiscock, in 1971. We asked the venerable lady if she was ever frustrated by the pointless and confusing decision of the Ann Arbor School Board to name the school built on Eber Whites old farm Eberwhite. The two ladies, who had donated family heirlooms, including furniture, to a museum room at the new school (items which appear to have disappeared since then) admitted that the name bothered them. Mrs. McOmber told us that she had once had a phone call from a woman researching the history of the area, who asked her Can you tell me what Mr. Eberwhites first name was?
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 00:30:12 +0000
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