LYON, Percy I. 1875-1945

LYON, TOBIAS

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 10/31/2019 at 17:41:48

Percy Lyon, Former Dike Editor, Dead

Percy Lyon, former editor of The Dike New Era, died last Thursday at Schleswig, Iowa, after a short illness. He was 70 years old. After he sold out his paper at Dike in 1923 he bought a paper at Schleswig which he operated up to the time of his death.

He was born at Sumner, Iowa, in 1875. He worked as a printer at the Gazette, Sibley, Iowa; the Crowther Printery, Waterloo; the Knickerbocker Press, New York City, and R. R. Donneley & Sons Co., Chicago, before publishing his own newspapers.

He is survived by his widow; one son, Robert B., who was associated with his father in the publishing of the Schleswig weekly; one daughter, Lila Louise, teaching in the Logan schools; and one sister, Mrs. G. A. Grow, who with her husband and daughter publish the Terril, Iowa, Record. A private funeral will be held Saturday at the Gottburg funeral home in Schleswig at 4 p.m. Burial will be at Dike on Sunday.

Mrs. Lyon is a sister of Mrs. Hans Kelsen and E. P. Tobias of Dike.

Relatives here from a distance for the service were Mrs. Tillie Scott of Kelso, Washington, and Mr. and Mrs. Grow of Terril, Ia.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 26 April 1945, pg 4

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Brother of Mrs. Grow Dies at Schleswig

Percy Lyon, son of Capt. and Mrs. Wm. T. Lyon, was born on a farm near Sumner, Iowa, March 1, 1875. He went to the country school and took two years of high school. After teaching one term, he started to learn to set type in the Sibley Gazette office in 1896. From then on printing was mostly his business. He worked in various offices, Waterloo, Chicago, Cleveland, O., Louisville, Ky., Younkers, N.Y. and back to Chicago. He was married to Cora Tobias of Dike in January, 1909. A few years later, he moved to Dike where he bought and operated the Dike New Era for several years. In March 1923, he bought the Schleswig Leader and that has been the family home since. Two children, Robert Bayard and Lila Louise were born to Mr. and Mrs. Lyon. Robert has helped Percy in the Leader since he was old enough, except for a couple of short periods. He is married and they have three children. He will take care of the office for his mother until other arrangements are made and most likely will buy it later. Lila teaches at Logan. Both the children and Mrs. Lyon and Robert's wife were almost constantly with him at the last. While for several years, we of the family knew Percy had a bad heart, his real bad attack came on April 14. He rallied from that but complications made his recovery impossible. He passed away suddenly April 19 at about 1 a.m. with the family and the family physician with him. He was at the time of his death, 70 years, 1 month and 18 days old. The last of four brothers.

Many here knew Percy as an ardent fisher and hunter as he had visited at our home may times and fished or hunted, according to the season. He was to us a favorite brother, being nearer my age than the other two boys and in the same business we had much in common.

We feel that we can safely and justly say that Percy was ever conscientious and honest in his dealings. He was remarkably well read on the war, and his one wish was to live until the war was over and the boys came home. He was very concerned about the boys in service and a report of death or missing or taken prisoner affected him very deeply.

A private funeral was held at the Funeral home at Schleswig Saturday afternoon, with but the immediate family and four very close friends. The undertaken is a Schleswig boy and had lived neighbor to the Lyon family for 22 years. Rev. A. F. Rinne, pastor of the Friedans Evangical and Reformed church, conducted the short, but beautiful service. Mrs. Selma Petersen sang as solos, "Lead Kindly Light" and "Abide With Me." Mrs. Petersen was her own accompanist.

Sunday the body was taken to Dike for burial in the family lot, where the last services were read.

Mrs. Lyon has a brother and his wife and a sister and husband at Dike besides other friends and relatives. One sister came from Kelso, Washington to be at the final service and will remain with Mrs. Lyon for a few weeks.

Rev. Rinne read the 90th Psalm, in which the verse is so pertinent, "The days of our years are three score years and ten", as Percy had just passed his 70th birthday a short time before.

And thus again we chronicle the death of one who is dear to us, he who was our playmate, our help in many times, always exceptionally good to father and mother and a wonderful brother to me. May God be good to those who have to carry on.

--The Terril Record (Terril, Iowa), 26 April 1945, pg 1