Community Leader Descended from One of the First Families to Settle Downers Grove
Born in Downers Grove in 1898, Lucile Bush was a lifelong resident whose century of life reflected both remarkable achievement and deep local roots. When she passed away in 1999 at the age of 100, she left behind a legacy of leadership, scholarship, and service to her community.
Lucile was an accomplished educator, teaching at several colleges, and a dedicated social worker who spent time working at Hull House. She was also a civic leader, serving as one of the founders of the Downers Grove chapter of the American Association of University Women and as an original member of the Downers Grove Historical Society when it was established in 1968. Her reputation as a distinguished educator led to a special honor in 1960, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower invited her to attend a six-day White House Conference on Children and Youth.
Lucile was descended from the Stanley family, recognized as the first full family to settle in Downers Grove in the 1830s. Among them was her great-grandmother, Nancy Stanley, who arrived as a young girl with her parents. Nancy became one of the community’s first teachers, holding classes in the Stanley family home and helping lay the educational foundation of the growing settlement.
In 1837, Nancy Stanley married Edwin Bush, uniting two early pioneer families. Three years later, in 1840, they welcomed a son, Henry Bush—Lucile’s great-grandfather. Henry continued the family’s deep ties to the community when he married Calla Belden, daughter of one of Downers Grove’s early blacksmiths, further weaving together the stories of the village’s founding families.
Henry and Calla’s son, Guy Bush, was born in 1866. He would become Lucile’s father and a prominent figure in his own right. Guy Bush served as President of Downers Grove from 1897 to 1898 and represented the 41st District in the Illinois State Legislature from 1898 to 1910. In addition to his public service, he worked for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad and later served as a state bank examiner. His marriage to Ann Wilcox continued the family’s strong civic presence.
In 1898, Guy and Ann welcomed their daughter, Lucile Bush, into a family already deeply rooted in leadership, education, and public service. It seems that Lucile Bush never married and left no direct descendants. Nevertheless, she stood at the center of one of Downers Grove’s earliest and most distinguished family legacies—a lineage that traced back to the very founding of the village.
With generations of pioneers, teachers, public officials, and community builders behind her, it is no surprise that Lucile herself would go on to live a life marked by distinction, service, and lasting impact on Downers Grove.
The Bush Family is just one of the many Downers Grove families that can trace their roots back to the early days of the village but one that we should remember.
