Old Missoula

J. M. Lucy, Pioneer Business Man of Missoula, Is Dead

Succumbs to Cancer of the Thyroid After Nine Years’ Illness, Would Have Been 70 Years Old Sept. 29.

John M. Lucy, pioneer merchant of Missoula, died at his home, 347 South Third street at midnight last night after an extended illness. His death was due to a cancer of the thyroid with which he had been afflicted for nine years.

During his illness Mr. Lucy had made several trips to Rochester, Minn., for radium treatment and submitted to several operations, both in Rochester and in Missoula. However, he never gave up active interest in business until a year ago. He would have attained his 70^th birthday September 29.

Came To U.S. in 1881.

Mr. Lucy was president of the firm J. M. Lucy & Sons, Inc., which he originally established. He was a native of Cork, Ireland, and left home at the age of 24 years to come to America. He came to Philadelphia in the early part of 1881. The western fever was strong in him and he came west over the Union Pacific to San Francisco and then by boat to Portland, where he became connected with the Oregon Railway and Navigating company at the Dalles, Ore.

The following year when there was a good deal of talk about the Northern Pacific railroad, which was being built from the east and the west, he started to work for the road. The western terminal of the Northern Pacific at that time was at Wallula Junction in Washington, where the N. P. connects with the O.W.R.& N.

Saw Gold Spike Driven.

Mr. Lucy commenced with the Northern Pacific at Sandpoint, Idaho, and remained with the road for several years after the road was completed with the driving of the final golden spike at Gold Creek. He was an engineer on the road at the time and was a member of the double crew that took the second section of the great Villard excursion in 1883 from Gold Creek to Portland. There were five trains in the excursion going via Wallula Junction, crossing the Snake river on a ferry.

Mr. Lucy was married to Miss Margaret Healy in Missoula, October 5, 1883. Miss Healy came direct from Lawrence, Mass., after the completion of the Northern Pacific at Gold Creek. They were married by Father Minitary.

Five Children Survive Him.

Mr. Lucy is survived by his widow and five children. They are John J. Lucy, Abbon M. Lucy, Mathew I. Lucy, Mrs. Margaret Lucy Thane and Mrs. Abbie Lucy Swift, and by seven grandchildren. A brother and sister reside at the old home in Cork, a brother resided in England, another in New York and another brother is at Valleye, Cal.

In 1890 Mr. Lucy became interested in the present business, then located across the street from the location it now has. It was founded earlier that year by A. J. Bradley and it became known as Bradley & Lucy and remained so until June 1891, when Mr. Lucy took over Mr. Bradley’s interest. He has been head of the business ever since.

Funeral Will Be Monday.

For several years he changed locations, going to larger quarters. In 1908 the sons engaged in the business with their father. The present location was purchased and the block the Lucy company now occupies, was built. The business was incorporated a few years ago.

The funeral will be held Monday, but the arrangements have not been completed. The body will be at the home on South Third street until the funeral hour Monday. The Lucy store will remain closed until after the funeral hour Monday.

The obituary above appeared in The Daily Missoulian on September 18, 1926.

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Mrs. John Lucy, Resident 70 Years, Dies

Mrs. John M. Lucy, a resident of Missoula for 70 years, 63 years of that time in the family home at 347 S. 3^rd. St., died Monday at a local hospital.

She was born Margaret Healy in County Cork, Ireland, on Aug. 5, 1859. She came to the United States in 1882 and to Missoula the following year. On Oct. 5, 1883, she married Mr. Lucy, who had just returned from the Pacific Coast after serving on the engine crew of one of the three excursion trains which opened the Northern Pacific Railway.

They built the home on Third street, one of the first on the South side, in 1890. Mr. Lucy, founder of J. M. Lucy & Sons, died in 1926.

Survivors are three sons, John, Abbon and Matt; two daughters, Mrs. H. Shirley Thane of Hamilton and Mrs. Allen Swift of Missoula; a brother, John Healy, in Ireland; eight grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Requiem high mass for Mrs. Lucy will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Anthony Church by the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Denis P. Meade, V.G. Burial will be in the family plot in St. Mary’s Cemetery. The rosary service will be at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the church.

The above Obituary appeared in The Daily Missoulian on October 27, 1953.

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Deane Jones, Missoulian columnist, had the following comments about John Thane – Missoulian 1/17/1968:

“John was a typical Irish immigrant when he hit Montana back in the 80s. He was working for the NP Railway when the golden spike was driven at Gold Creek, and wound up in Missoula not long afterward.

“He went into business west of Higgins Avenue to start with, and well before the turn of the century he founded Lucy & Sons, Inc. Within a few years he was a prosperous businessman.

“Shirley Thane recounted an example of Lucy’s persuasive Irish tongue. After the streetcars came to Missoula, he would board a “D” car each afternoon to go to his home in the 300 block of South Third Street. On one occasion he was sitting serenely when the late Eddie Boos, advertising manager of the Merc, boarded the car. ‘You’re on a “U” car (University-bound), John,’ he informed Lucy. ‘I’ll bet it gets me to my house,’ John replied. Whereupon he walked up to the motorman and succeeded in talking him into turning the car at the south end of the Higgins Avenue Bridge, down Third Street to his residence. The motorman then reversed his car back to Higgins and proceeded on the University route. Until the day he died, Eddie Boos marveled that H. L. Bickenbach didn’t fire the motorman.”

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