Lyon, Earl A 1917 - 2004

LYON, HILL, ERICKSON, OAKLAND, MURRAY

Posted By: Norman Hjelmeland (email)
Date: 1/26/2014 at 15:29:07

Earl Lyon, age 87 of Decorah, died Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2004 at the Aase Haugen Nursing Home in Decorah, following a long illness.

Funeral services are at 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 23 at Washington Prairie Lutheran Church, rural Decorah, with Rev. Kim Smith.

Paul Bruvold is organist and Rev. James Oakland, soloist, will sing "In the Garden."

Congregational hymns are "Amazing Grace" and "On Our Way Rejoicing."

Casketbearers are Bob Ruen, Dale Olson, John Rodecap, Bob Sersland, Vernon Spilde and Albert Anderson.

Military rites will be provided by Bernatz-Symonds American Legion Post #163, Helof Holm VFW Post #1977 and Hamre – Giesen DAV Chapter #8.

Interment will be in Washington Prairie Lutheran Cemetery, rural Decorah. Schluter - Balik Funeral Home Decorah, is handling arrangements.

Earl Allen Lyon was born on June 13, 1917 the son of Robert and Adeline (Hill) Lyon in Toledo, Iowa. He attended country school and then graduated from Toledo High School in 1935 and then from Iowa State University in 1939 in Agronomy.

He was a member of the Farmhouse Fraternity. In De-cember 1939, he moved to Deco-rah and was a Winneshiek County 4-H Club Agent.

Earl Lyon then served stateside in the U.S. Navy during World War II from Nov. 1941 until he was honorably discharged in Dec. 1945.

He married Arla J. Erickson on July 25, 1942 in Washington, D.C. In 1945 he took a job with the Soil Conservation Service in Fairfield, IA and then moved to Independence in the same position.

In the late forties, Earl Lyon moved to Decorah area to farm and teach GI’s. In 1954 they moved to Manchester, where he managed the Farm Service. Earl and Arla Lyon then returned to Decorah, where he farmed near Highway 52 south and also taught agriculture classes at Area One in Calmar from 1967-1977.

Earl Lyon enjoyed his family and friends, raising Jersey cattle, rabbits, miniature donkeys, chickens and collecting lions. Earl showed Jersey cattle at the National Dairy Congress in Waterloo for 70 years.

He was a member of the Washington Prairie Lutheran Church, he was the chairman of the Democratic County Committee, on the Board of Directors for the Calmar Creamery, a member of the Fire Board for Decorah Township, the Lutheran Credit Union, the Society of Mayflower Descendents in the state of Iowa, the Iowa Jersey Cattle Club and the Bernatz-Symonds American Legion Post #163.

In 1992, he received the Dis-tinguished Dairyman Award at the Winneshiek County Dairy Banquet, which he often helped organize. He also received the 1994 Alumni Award from the Winneshiek Co. 4-H and the FFA Appreciation Award in 2000. Earl Lyon also was a member of the Great Lights Masonic Lodge #181.

Survivors include his wife, Arla Lyon, Decorah and two daughters: Sherry Oakland and husband Rev. James, New England, N.D. and Roberta Murray, Decorah; one son: Edward Lyon and wife Becky, Decorah; 10 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; one brother: Russell Lyon and wife Helen, Toledo and several nieces and nephews.

Earl Lyon was preceded in death by his parents and one great-grandson.

Decorah Public Opinion, September 28, 2004

Washington Prairie Lutheran Cemetery
 

Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
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