Social Science
1949 - 1952
PRINCIPAL
1953 - 1954
 1949 Yearbook |
 1953 Yearbook |
Obituary
Edwin G. Lyon, a former teacher,
principal and superintendent of schools at Neodesha, died
Monday, November 19, 2007, at the Wilson County Hospital in
Neodesha. He was 89. Funeral services were held at 11 am
Friday, Nov. 23, at the United Methodist Church with pastor
Kris Brinlee of the United Methodist Church and Pastor Dave
Cheshier of Christ Church officiating. Burial was in the
Neodesha Cemetery under the direction of the Penwell-Gabel
Loran Fawcett Chapel of Neodesha. The son of Luther and Mary Martha
(Stuber) Lyon, "Jack" was born July 13, 1918 in Eureka. He
grew up on a farm outside of Climax in Greenwood County. He
graduated from Climax High School in 1935 in the midst of
the Great Depression. He worked on farms for two years to
save enough money to start classes at Chanute Junior
College. After graduating from Chanute Junior
College, he accepted a teaching position in a rural school
in rush County 10 miles east of Chanute. He was offered
another year's work, but thought he didn't like teaching.
Instead, he returned to Chanute to work at a funeral home
where he'd been employed while attending junior college. At
the funeral home he worked as an embalming apprentice and
ambulance and hearse driver. In 1941, World War II was on the
horizon and prior to being drafted Mr. Lyon entered the U.S.
Navy/Coast Guard. He initially served on river patrols along
the Mississippi and Tennessee rivers before being assigned
to a Navy destroyer escort ship in the South Pacific. The
ship provided troop support for conflicts from New Guinea to
the Philippines. He was discharged from his military service
in June of 1946 and returned to Kansas. In 1943, prior to shipping out
overseas, he was united in marriage to Lavera June Worley of
rural Chanute. He attended the former Kansas State
Teachers College on the G.I. Bill, changing his mind about
teaching. He graduated in 1948 after earning a bachelor
degree and master's of science in education. Mr. Lyon then
accepted a classroom position in the Osawatomie school
system. After two years he was offered a principal's
position which he held for two years. In June of 1954, he accepted a
principal's position at the Neodesha High School, a post he
held for 17 years. In 1971, he was named superintendent of
the USD 461, Neodesha school system. He served in this
capacity for 12 years until his retirement in
1983. Mr. Lyon was active in community
organizations, a member of the United Methodist Church of
Neodesha, the Masonic Lodge of Climax, the Neodesha Rotary
Club, the Order of Eastern Star and the American Legion. He
was a board member of New Beginnings Enterprises for nine
years. During his education years, he was
active and held leadership positions in the Kansas State
Principals Association and the State School Administrators
Association. Preceding him in death were his
parents. Survivors include his wife of 64
years, Lavera, of Neodesha; three children, Lucinda Kay
"Cindy" and her husband James E. Hubbard of Fort Collins,
CO., Brian and His wife Kathleen of Albuquerque, NM, and
Julie and her husband, Steve Caspers of Topeka; a sister,
Martha Jo Brown of Wichita; five grandchildren, Sherri
Hubbard of Cheyenne, WY,., Amy and Ty Nordie of Windsor,
CO., Eddy Lyon of Austin, TX., Emily and Justin Emerick of
Provo, UT., and Briana and Brogan Caspers of Topeka, and
four great-grandchildren, Shaylah, Stetson, Slade and
Shanaye Nordie of Windsor, CO. Memorials may be made to the NHS
Alumni Association Scholarship Fund or the United Methodist
Church of Neodesha in care of the funeral home.