Lloyd Raymond Simmons September 7, 1895 - November 1, 1984

SIMMONS, BEAN, MILLER, WYANT, GRANT

Posted By: Ava Simmons (email)
Date: 2/24/2005 at 19:13:28

RETIRED BUSINESS OWNER LLOYD SIMMONS, 89, DIES

Retired Marengo businessman Lloyd Simmons, 89, died Thursday evening Nov. 1, 1984 at Marengo Memorial Hospital where he has been a patient in the extended care wing this last year.

Officiating at the funeral service at 10 a.m. Monday at Hoover-Valentine funeral home was the Rev. Oluf Kongshaug, First Presbyterian Church, Marengo. Organist Erma (Mrs. Milford) Langlas accompanied Betty (Mrs. Betty Oluf) Kongshaug as she sang "The Lord is My Shepherd" and "I Need Thee Every Hour."

Pallbearers were all military veterans Vaughn Schulz, Oris Voigtman, Glen Scott, John Bruce Dillin, Lloyd Klever and Leroy Stevens, all Marengo. Burial was in Marengo cemetery.

Born Sept. 7, 1895, in Iowa county west of Marengo, Lloyd Raymond Simmons was the son of Raymond and Kate Miller Simmons. He received his education in the rural school west of Marengo.

Starting as a mechanic in 1913, Simmons bought out Frank Bishop's interest in Bishop and Willenbrock in 1915 and that business was called Willenbrock and Simmons. Lloyd Simmons' father Ray took over for his son while he served nearly two years in the U.S. Army repairing airplanes during World War 1. Much of that time was spent in France.

About 1919 following Lloyd Simmons' return from the Army, his father bought out the Willenbrock part of the business, and it was known as Simmons and Son for a number of years. Lloyd Simmons' son Bob joined the business in the 1940's.

In addition to witnessing the change in cars through the years, Lloyd Simmons drove the first Ford truck that was brought to Iowa county. While he retired after 50 years in the business he continued working until 1978 although at a slower pace during the last years.

His marriage to Lola M. Bean took place Aug. 25, 1919 in Montezuma. They made their home throughout their married lives on East Washington street, Marengo, until Mrs. Simmons broke a hip and suffered a stroke. They lived at Rose Haven nursing home after that. She died July 6, 1983.

A member of the American Legion and Knights of Pythias he attended the Presbyterian church. He was one of the three original builders and operators of the first Marengo swimming pool that the Legion owned and operated for many years. He also helped build the Legion hall itself and helped build the first telephone line.

In later years he enjoyed fishing and was a well known sight in his 1929 Model A Ford on which he had put nearly 400,000 miles by 1976. It had been sold new to a customer and he had repurchased it five years later and had continued to drive it.

He is survived by one son Robert A Simmons, Marengo, two daughters, Betty (Mrs. Dean) Wyant, Marengo, Phyllis (Mrs. Marion) Grant, Williamsburg; 13 grandchildren - Jim Bob and Bill Simmons, Mary Roggentien, Joan Seye, all of Marengo; Debbie Huedepohl, Williamsburg, Pam Grant, Cedar Rapids, Mark Grant, Austin, Texas, Linda Klotz, Colorado Springs, Colo, Suzanne Rose, Clinton, Sally Boyd, Houston, Bill Wyant, Marengo, and Sarah Wyant, Des Moines, and 21 great grandchildren.

In addition to his wife and parents he was preceded in death by a grandson, Ronnie Simmons."

NEWSpapers of Iowa County,
Thursday, Nov. 8, 1984