Herbert Luquer was born 15 May 1890, a son of John Newton and Mary Millicent (Thompson) Luquer. According to family lore, he was born prematurely and weighed only a pound and a half. His mother found it difficult to hold him in her arms because he was so small, so she took a velvet sofa cushion, sewed two ribbons on it, put Herb in the middle and tied the edges of the cushion up around him. That made a large enough bundle that she could comfortably hold him--and may have saved his life by keeping in the body heat of this "premie".
Unfortunately, John and Mary Luquer did not have a happy marriage and they separated about 1904 with a final legal separation in 1907. Herb was on his own after that, and, consequently did not receive a great deal of formal education. He did, however, have a natural gift for things mechanical and electrical, and after his parents' breakup he had the good fortune to find a man who took him as an apprentice and taught him the basics of electricity and telegraphy.
As a teenager about 1907-8, Herb visited his older brother Clarence who worked on the estate of Clarence Mackay, a wealthy man who lived at Roslyn, Long Island. The estate was named Harbor Hill, and was designed by Stanford White. Although he was initially refused a job when he requested it (the foreman thought he was too small), Herb offered to work for free for a week. If his work was satisfactory, he would be given a full time job and if not, he would leave with no hard feelings. By the end of the week he had his job.
Around 1905 Mr. Mackay decided to build a hunting lodge (another Stanford White project) in Guilford County, NC. At first, beginning about 1908-9, Herb would spend time intermittently at the lodge, a few weeks or months at the time, usually in the winters. After 1910, however, he was one of three men given the chance to move to North Carolina and live on the grounds of the lodge year round. Herb's main job was to live in a cottage on the grounds and be a presence to discourage thieves. When Mr. Mackay planned to bring in a hunting party, Herb would have to make sure that the pump and generator worked so that the guests would have lights and running water, but otherwise his workload was a fairly light one.
He met Annie Jane Garrett and fell in love. They were married in Guilford County, NC, on August 18, 1915. Several years after their marriage, he left Mr. Mackay's employ and went to work as an electrician and fixer in the Stehli silk mills in High Point, NC. He worked in that capacity with various textile mills in the area until his retirement from Burlington Industries in 1961 at the age of 70.
Unfortunately, John and Mary Luquer did not have a happy marriage and they separated about 1904 with a final legal separation in 1907. Herb was on his own after that, and, consequently did not receive a great deal of formal education. He did, however, have a natural gift for things mechanical and electrical, and after his parents' breakup he had the good fortune to find a man who took him as an apprentice and taught him the basics of electricity and telegraphy.
As a teenager about 1907-8, Herb visited his older brother Clarence who worked on the estate of Clarence Mackay, a wealthy man who lived at Roslyn, Long Island. The estate was named Harbor Hill, and was designed by Stanford White. Although he was initially refused a job when he requested it (the foreman thought he was too small), Herb offered to work for free for a week. If his work was satisfactory, he would be given a full time job and if not, he would leave with no hard feelings. By the end of the week he had his job.
Around 1905 Mr. Mackay decided to build a hunting lodge (another Stanford White project) in Guilford County, NC. At first, beginning about 1908-9, Herb would spend time intermittently at the lodge, a few weeks or months at the time, usually in the winters. After 1910, however, he was one of three men given the chance to move to North Carolina and live on the grounds of the lodge year round. Herb's main job was to live in a cottage on the grounds and be a presence to discourage thieves. When Mr. Mackay planned to bring in a hunting party, Herb would have to make sure that the pump and generator worked so that the guests would have lights and running water, but otherwise his workload was a fairly light one.
He met Annie Jane Garrett and fell in love. They were married in Guilford County, NC, on August 18, 1915. Several years after their marriage, he left Mr. Mackay's employ and went to work as an electrician and fixer in the Stehli silk mills in High Point, NC. He worked in that capacity with various textile mills in the area until his retirement from Burlington Industries in 1961 at the age of 70.
Herbert Luquer was born 15 May 1890, a son of John Newton and Mary Millicent (Thompson) Luquer. According to family lore, he was born prematurely and weighed only a pound and a half. His mother found it difficult to hold him in her arms because he was so small, so she took a velvet sofa cushion, sewed two ribbons on it, put Herb in the middle and tied the edges of the cushion up around him. That made a large enough bundle that she could comfortably hold him--and may have saved his life by keeping in the body heat of this "premie".
Unfortunately, John and Mary Luquer did not have a happy marriage and they separated about 1904 with a final legal separation in 1907. Herb was on his own after that, and, consequently did not receive a great deal of formal education. He did, however, have a natural gift for things mechanical and electrical, and after his parents' breakup he had the good fortune to find a man who took him as an apprentice and taught him the basics of electricity and telegraphy.
As a teenager about 1907-8, Herb visited his older brother Clarence who worked on the estate of Clarence Mackay, a wealthy man who lived at Roslyn, Long Island. The estate was named Harbor Hill, and was designed by Stanford White. Although he was initially refused a job when he requested it (the foreman thought he was too small), Herb offered to work for free for a week. If his work was satisfactory, he would be given a full time job and if not, he would leave with no hard feelings. By the end of the week he had his job.
Around 1905 Mr. Mackay decided to build a hunting lodge (another Stanford White project) in Guilford County, NC. At first, beginning about 1908-9, Herb would spend time intermittently at the lodge, a few weeks or months at the time, usually in the winters. After 1910, however, he was one of three men given the chance to move to North Carolina and live on the grounds of the lodge year round. Herb's main job was to live in a cottage on the grounds and be a presence to discourage thieves. When Mr. Mackay planned to bring in a hunting party, Herb would have to make sure that the pump and generator worked so that the guests would have lights and running water, but otherwise his workload was a fairly light one.
He met Annie Jane Garrett and fell in love. They were married in Guilford County, NC, on August 18, 1915. Several years after their marriage, he left Mr. Mackay's employ and went to work as an electrician and fixer in the Stehli silk mills in High Point, NC. He worked in that capacity with various textile mills in the area until his retirement from Burlington Industries in 1961 at the age of 70.
Unfortunately, John and Mary Luquer did not have a happy marriage and they separated about 1904 with a final legal separation in 1907. Herb was on his own after that, and, consequently did not receive a great deal of formal education. He did, however, have a natural gift for things mechanical and electrical, and after his parents' breakup he had the good fortune to find a man who took him as an apprentice and taught him the basics of electricity and telegraphy.
As a teenager about 1907-8, Herb visited his older brother Clarence who worked on the estate of Clarence Mackay, a wealthy man who lived at Roslyn, Long Island. The estate was named Harbor Hill, and was designed by Stanford White. Although he was initially refused a job when he requested it (the foreman thought he was too small), Herb offered to work for free for a week. If his work was satisfactory, he would be given a full time job and if not, he would leave with no hard feelings. By the end of the week he had his job.
Around 1905 Mr. Mackay decided to build a hunting lodge (another Stanford White project) in Guilford County, NC. At first, beginning about 1908-9, Herb would spend time intermittently at the lodge, a few weeks or months at the time, usually in the winters. After 1910, however, he was one of three men given the chance to move to North Carolina and live on the grounds of the lodge year round. Herb's main job was to live in a cottage on the grounds and be a presence to discourage thieves. When Mr. Mackay planned to bring in a hunting party, Herb would have to make sure that the pump and generator worked so that the guests would have lights and running water, but otherwise his workload was a fairly light one.
He met Annie Jane Garrett and fell in love. They were married in Guilford County, NC, on August 18, 1915. Several years after their marriage, he left Mr. Mackay's employ and went to work as an electrician and fixer in the Stehli silk mills in High Point, NC. He worked in that capacity with various textile mills in the area until his retirement from Burlington Industries in 1961 at the age of 70.
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