Marvin Lyon, 94, of Jefferson, died December 2, 2006.  Memorial services for Marvin Lyon will be 10:00 am Thursday January 4, 2007 at Central Christian Church in Jefferson, with interment at Jefferson Cemetery.

The family will visit with friends from 6:30 – 8:30pm Wednesday January 3 at Slininger-Rossow Funeral Home in Jefferson.

Memorials are suggested to Central Christian Church in Jefferson. 

 

Marvin Wayne Lyon, son of Harry Alva Lyon and Della Mae Schwarzenbach, was born July 14, 1912, in Jefferson, IA, and passed from this life on December 2, 2006, at the Jefferson Manor.

Marvin attended Jefferson schools and graduated in 1931.  A superior athlete and competitor, Marvin was proud of his Jefferson Rams football team that was undefeated for two consecutive seasons.  He was especially proud of his half-mile relay team that won the 1930 State Championship, and placed 2nd at a National Meet in Chicago.  Team members, under Coach Ward Rockey, included Fred Morain, Wayne Hasbrouck, Leonard Scharff, and Joe Rogers.  Marvin was awarded an athletic scholarship to Drake University, where he studied for one year.

In 1932, Marvin earned a barbering certificate and worked alongside his father in the Lyon Barber Shop on the north side of the square in downtown Jefferson.  The Lyon Building served as both residence and business center for three Lyon generations.

Marvin married his high school sweetheart Pauline Mae Radebaugh on May 22, 1933.  To this union were born a daughter, Margo (1944), and two sons, Jack Jay (1946) and Max Jeffrey (1950).

In 1943, Marvin volunteered to serve his country in the Army Air Corps.  He served stateside as a B-17 flight instructor, photographer and film projectionist.  Marvin was honorably discharged in 1945 after victory was achieved in Europe.  He and Pauline resettled in Jefferson with their young daughter Margo.

Post-war prosperity and rural electrification presented Marvin with an opportunity to sell and install modern appliances in many Greene County homes, under the business name Lyon Electric.  However, an economic downturn coinciding with the Korean Conflict caused Lyon Electric to fold.  As a point of honor, Marvin refused to file bankruptcy and repaid every debt over the course of twenty years. 

With his credit and reputation intact, Marvin opened the Lyon Camera and Sport Shop to serve photographers, hunters and fisherman.  Customers knew that Marvin would offer expert instruction with every purchase, from fly-casting technique to camera operation to firearms safety.  Local newspaper readers learned where the fish were biting or the geese were gathering in Marvin’s weekly “Outdoor Sports” from 1954 to 1963.  Many of the tales and exploits of local sportsmen, told around the backroom gas heater of Lyon Sport Shop, found their way into the weekly article.

Marvin’s business interests, coupled with his knowledge of local people and history, led to a career in real estate and stock brokerage.  Through self-study, Marvin prepared for and passed all the necessary tests for licenses to sell farms and homes as well as shares on the New York Stock Exchange. 

Upon retirement in 1973, Marvin enjoyed golfing, gardening, bible study, and mentoring his children.

Marvin was a life-long member of Central Christian Church, where he served on the church board, was an elder for 46 years, taught bible classes and served on many church committees during his lifetime.  He was a member of the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, Greene County Golf and Country Club, the Floyd Brown American Legion Post #11 in Jefferson, and was a charter member of the Elks Lodge.

Marvin Lyon died December 2, 2006, at the Jefferson Manor at the age of 94.  Preceding him in death were his parents, Harry and Della Lyon; his sister Doris Lyon Van Horne; his wife of 67 years, Pauline Mae Lyon; and his son Jack Jay Lyon.

Survivors include daughter Margo Crane and her husband Joe of Tucson, AZ; son Max Lyon and his wife Donna of Austin, TX; a daughter-in-law Diane Smith Lyon of Ames, IA; 7 grandchildren; other relatives and many friends.