The Virginia Lukshaitis Memorial
Virginia was born in 1951 to Ken and Margaret Maher of Port Sanilac. She was the sixth of nine children. She attended Carsonville-Port Sanilac School and graduated Valedictorian in 1969. Virginia went on to Central Michigan University where she earned a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education, and later a Masters Degree in Reading. Virginia married Tom Lukshaitis of Hamtramck, Michigan in 1974. Virginia also started teaching at the Kingston Community Schools that same year. After some unknown health problems, she was diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis in 1979. Even though Virginia's health slowly regressed with each passing year, she taught fourth and fifth grade for 21 years.
Virginia and Tom moved to Sandusky in 1979. They had and raised two children, Greg (1981) and Margie (1987). Virginia loved her job and her students, but in 1996 she could no longer teach on a day-to-day basis, so she retired. Until her passing in 2001, Virginia could be seen on the streets of Sandusky driving her battery powered "Amigo" scooter. Her two favorite hangouts were the Sandusky Library and the Melting Pot Restaurant.
Virginia always had a smile on her face and a witty comment to offer. When people saw her around town, their own personal concerns and problems seemed less important. Virginia gave the people of Sandusky a little more strength.
—Tom Lukshaitis
Library patrons come in many shapes and sizes, of various ages, and with lots of different reading interests and abilities. Many users make regular trips to the library, stopping in not only to check out whatever items they may be interested in or to use the public computers, but also to share a word or two with the staff. We as a staff have made numerous connections with our patrons; and on the whole, we look forward to these interactions a great deal. You always have your favorites...the little girl who has been a "regular" since the age of two or three when her grandpa first introduced her to the library. Or perhaps it is the elderly gentleman who has been a user and supporter since his younger days, and would not dream of missing an opportunity to joke with the "library ladies".
One particular person stands out in my memory as a favorite of every member of our staff. Virginia Lukshaitis was an avid library user. She visited us almost every single day when we were located in the City Building, stopping in to chat, to drop off treats, to grab some books-on-tape, or to just catch up on "what's new". My only sadness when we moved to our new facility was that our location was not quite as easily accessible to "Ginger". It didn't stop her from continuing her visits, but it did cause us to see her less often.
The Virginia that we came to know and care so much about was a vivacious, witty, warm-hearted woman who cared deeply about her family and her community. She loved her independence and did not let much of anything slow her down. We admired her for her perseverance and determination, and loved her for her warmth and humanity. We miss her sense of humor and her constant support of just how much a library can influence a community and those who live there.
—Gail Nartker, Director, 6/2002
The Virginia Lukshaitis Collection
Memorials to the Library in memory of "Ginger", have been used to start a book collection in her honor. Below is a partial list of the collection. If you would like to make a contribution towards the collection, please contact the Library Director.
| Title | Author |
| The Dungeon | Banks, Lynne Reid |
| Wenny Has Wings | Carey, Janet Lee |
| Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident | Colfer, Eoin |
| Crush | Conford, Ellen |
| 12 Again | Corbett, Sue |
| Where I'd Like To Be | Dowell, Frances O'Roark |
| Backfield Package | Dygard, Thomas J. |
| Once Upon A Marigold | Ferris, Jean |
| Up On Cloud Nine | Fine, Anne |
| Whirligig Fleischman, Paul | |
| Just Ask Iris | Frank, Lucy |
| Waiting To Disappear | Fritz, April Young |
| The Ghost Sitter | Griffin, Peni R. |
| Loose Threads | Grover, Lorie Ann |
| Time Stops For No Mouse | Hoeye, Michael |
| Stormbreaker | Horowitz, Anthony |
| Skeleton Key | Horowitz, Anthony |
| Thorn Ogres Of Hagwood | Jarvis, Robin |
| Gina.Jamie.Father.Bear. | Lyon, George Ella |
| Over The River | Moranville, Sharelle Byars |
| Before The Creeks Ran Red | Reeder, Carolyn |
| The Great Blue Yonder | Shearer, Alex |
| My Heartbeat | Weyr, Garret |
| Revenge Of The Whale | Philbrick, Nat |
| King Of The Mild Frontier: An Ill-Advised Autobiography | Crutcher, Chris |
| Starting School | Hurwitz, Johanna |
| Simon Says | Alphin, Elaine Marie |
| Ashes Of Roses | Auch, Mary Jane |
| Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale | Black, Holly |
| The Second Summer Of The Sisterhood | Brashares, Ann |
| Remembrance | Breslin, Theresa |
| Rundown | Cadnum, Michael |
| Cheating Lessons: A Novel | Cappo, Nan Willard |
| Losing Louisa | Caseley, Judith |
| Postcards From No Man's Land | Chambers, Aidan |
| Frozen Rodeo | Clark, Catherine |
| Things Not Seen | Clements, Andrew |
| Gingerbread | Cohn, Rachel |
| St. Michael's Scales | Connelly, Neil O. |
| Goddess Of Yesterday | Cooney, Caroline B. |
| Comfort | Dean, Carolee |
| Born Confused | Desai Hidier, Tanuja |
| Breaking Point | Flinn, Alex |
| America: A Novel | Frank, E. R. |
| Friction | Frank, E. R. |
| The True Meaning Of Cleavage | Fredericks, Mariah |
| The Year They Burned The Books | Garden, Nancy |
| Troy | Geras, Adele |
| Shattering Glass | Giles, Gail |
| The Cannibals | Grant, Cynthia D. |
| Bronx Masquerade | Grimes, Nikki |
| Dr. Franklin's Island | Halam, Ann |
| Thursday's Child | Hartnett, Sonya |
| Waiting For Christopher: A Novel | Hawes, Louise |
| The Shakeress | Heuston, Kimberley Burton |
| Stoner & Spaz | Koertge, Ronald |
| Straydog | Koja, Kathe |
| The Lightkeeper's Daughter | Lawrence, Iain |
| Looking For Alibrandi | Marchetta, Melina |
| Lightland | McCutchen, Heather |
| Shadow People | McDonald, Joyce |
| Water: Tales Of Elemental Spirits | McKinley, Robin |
| Zipped | McNeal, Laura |
| Blizzard's Wake | Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds |
| Who Are You? | Nixon, Joan Lowery |
| Born Blue | Nolan, Han |
| Dancing On The Edge | Nolan, Han |
| Big Mouth & Ugly Girl | Oates, Joyce Carol |
| Places I Never Meant To Be | |
| Three Clams And An Oyster | Powell, Randy |
| The Sterkarm Handshake | Price, Susan |
| After | Prose, Francine |
| One Night | Qualey, Marsha |
| Breaking Rank | Randle, Kristen D. |
| Head Above Water | Rottman, S. L. |
| Hero | Rottman, S. L. |
| Lucy The Giant | Smith, Sherri L. |
| Shopaholic | Waite, Judy |
| Jinx | Wild, Margaret |
| The Long Night Of Leo And Bree | Wittlinger, Ellen |
| The Boy In The Burning House | Wynne-Jones, Tim |
| The Beetle And Me: A Love Story | Young, Karen Romano |
| Bringing Up The Bones | Zeises, Lara M. |
| Chocolate For A Teen's Heart | |
| Chocolate For A Teen's Spirit | |
| The Best American Nonrequired Reading | |
| Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days In L.A. | Rodriguez, Luis J. |
Contributors to the Virginia Lukshaitis Collection
The Book Collection is made possible by the generous memorials made by the friends of Ginger. If you would like to make a contribution to the collection, please contact the Library Director.
| Tom, Greg & Margie Lukshaitis | John & Sally Armstrong | Bob & Marilyn Armstrong |
|
Connie Benedict & Sandusky Middle School 8th Grade Class |
John & Anne Bezotte | Chris & Barb DeRose |
| Fred Hicks Family | Dick & Sandy Kaatz | Allen & Marion Little |
| Marilyn Loding | Ralph & Lavonne McCallum | Joe & Gail Nartker |
| Mark & Emma Navarro | Terry & Diana Osborn | Michael & Sheree Phillips |
|
Howard D. Crull Elementary School, Port Huron Area Schools |
Robert & Maureen Rietz | John & Linda Rose |
| Mark & Mary Lou Ruggles | Carl & Phyllis Silvernail | Rebeccalynn Staples |
| Lynn & Cathy Staples | Bob & Charlyne Stasuik | James & Sharon Brandibur |
| Dale & Phyllis Chambers | Gary & Cindy Chambers | Bob Dear |
| Randy Filkins | Katie Frostic | Ann Glavich |
| Aline Heckroth | Bob & Colleen Kaltz | Phil LaGore |
| Jim & Dawn Licht | Stephanie Lulis | Don & Sue Meissner |
| Jean Mossett | Mary Pikarski | Dennis, Jerry, Larry & Rob Schommer |
| Nort & Linda Schramm | Larry Schroder | Ann Schrope |
| Russ & Bev Schumacher | Dean & Carole Speidel | Tim & Pam Thomson |