RENSHAW, Cyrus (Cy), 1910-2003

RENSHAW, SCOTT, WINCHELL, MERCHANT

Posted By: Jeannine Peterson (email)
Date: 10/15/2012 at 10:09:11

Cyrus (Cy) Renshaw, 92, of Mason City, died February 1, 2003, at the I.O.O.F. Home in Mason City.

Funeral services were held February 6th at Major Erickson Funeral Home, with the Rev. Eldon Jandebeur officiating.

Cy was born on December 5, 1910, the son of Frank and Helen (Scott) Renshaw on the family's homestead in rural Whitney, SD. He lived most of his life on the Renshaw family farm in Owens Grove, southeast of Mason City.

Cy attended rural school with his mother as his teacher, and graduated from Mason City High School, class of 1928. He then attended Mason City Junior College for one year and in 2002, Cy received an Honorary Associate Degree from NIACC.

On August 30, 1936, Cy was united in marriage to Gladys Rose Winchell at the Presbyterian Church in Lakota. After their marriage, the couple lived in Lakota where Gladys was the chief telephone operator, while Cy worked at Deitering's Garage in Bancroft for two years.

Over the course of the next 30 years, Cy worked for a variety of auto-body repair shops, including Delaware Auto Body, which he owned and operated. In 1948, Cy built Mason City's first bookmobile for the Mason City Public Library.

After leaving the auto-body business, Cy worked for Sunray DX Oil Co. and Hedrick Brothers Paper Co. He then worked for over 15 years in security and auto-parts for NIACC.

At the age of 80, Cy retired and began his career as a volunteer disc jockey for KCMR Radio. He wrote and produced over 160 shows of "Center Stage," a program featuring music from Broadway and movies.

He was a charter member of the SPEBSQA's River City Chorus.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife, Gladys, Mason City; daughter Nancy Merchant, Burnsville, MN; son Frank (Sharon) Renshaw, Cherry Hill, NJ; granddaughters, Jennifer and Melinda Renshaw; Kristina and Vanessa Merchant; sister-in-law, Verna (Curt) Vrchota, Mason City; cousins, Hazel Connery, Gilroy CA, Ruth Hardigan, TX, James (Iona) Renshaw, Rock Falls, and Helen O'Heron, Minneapolis, MN.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two infant grandsons, Jeffrey Allan and Brian Carl Renshaw; and cousins, Doris Cormey and Ruth Renshaw.

Mason City Globe Gazette February 2003