A tale that has piqued the interest of thrill-seeking Bradfordians for decades, “Luke the Spook” originated with the passing of oilman and relatively quintessential Bradford resident, Frank Luke. Fast-forwarding from his death in 1940 to the first “Luke” sighting in 1968, fascination with Luke’s tomb, in particular, began to take hold, with the legend proclaiming that if one was to park their car near the Luke tomb, its engine would falter, and they may spot an apparition or hear a knock in response to their own, causing a downward spiral of events for the curiosity seeker.
“It was in high school when I first came to know of ‘Luke the Spook’ and that was passed down from the older kids,” stated retired Bradford City police officer, David Feely, pointing to Halloween night as the prime time to visit Luke’s infamous mausoleum, a tradition he and his family maintain today.
His sentiments are echoed by many, among them, Bradford Area School District director of curriculum and instruction Kelly Compton, who shared her daughter’s tormented memory of a spiritual hold at the legendary Luke mausoleum in Willow Dale cemetery; and Bradford resident Fran Stewart who once heard “Luke knock back.” This legend, having been a namesake since the late 1960s, consumes Bradford, Pennsylvania to this day, with only the bravest of townspeople daring to deliver three knocks upon the Luke tomb, or park their cars close enough to fall under the control of an urban legend.
Now, how did such a normal man leave behind such a haunting legacy? The family of Frank Luke reached out, his grandniece, Sandy Rhodes, expressing the sentiment, “I know my mom was always offended by the legend that he would spook people. She always said he ‘wouldn’t hurt a fly.’”
This account brings to light a new, if unpopular suggestion. Is it possible that a cleverly rhyming name and a hair-raising mausoleum location are to blame for the hold that this urban legend has on modern day society? Is it a default of human nature to hold dearly to folklore, to grasp at the strings of fantasy because it feels inadequate to exist as creatures whose minds see no barrier? It is worth the opposition to consider the possibility that the infamous “Luke the Spook” is simply Frank Luke, a man unaccountably attached to a legacy beyond his control.
The above is not to discredit the genuine unexplained happenings surrounding the Luke tomb. It is quite impossible to ignore the intrigue. Yet another side to this complex tale is one as of yet to be explored. Frank Luke’s daughter, Clare Luke, was a mysterious young woman who has, until now, been woven into this story with invisible thread.
Tim Gigliotti, Bradford Township police officer, attested to the mausoleum door being found open on various occasions by both the police and passersby, leading to its eventual permanent sealing, which, as Luke’s grandniece pointed out, occurred after his daughter, Clare, died in 1994. “Sightings” of Luke had been taking place for years at this point, though it had not been until that moment that permanent and official action had taken place against whatever force had caused such a repetitive, unexplained occurrence.
Bradford Township supervisor Gayle Bauer recalls growing up as neighbor to the late Clare Luke and her empty home. She recounted age-old rumors of hidden treasure in the Luke household and of Clare’s rage over her father’s memory transforming into something much darker than who she knew him to be. Keeping Frank Luke’s gentle demeanor in mind and the frustration of his daughter over the route of his legacy, it must now be considered that “Luke the Spook” is a title that does not belong to Frank, but to his sole child.
Whether this tale is simply a product of the human condition or that of another realm, it is irrefutable that the legend of “Luke the Spook” will live on in Bradford. As residents prepare to brave the grounds of the Willow Dale cemetery once again this Halloween and park their vehicles at the base of the Luke tomb, they may now reconsider the accepted version of this story, allowing themselves to wonder “Which Luke am I running from?”
