Clara Margaret Lyons

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Clara Margaret Lyons, 88, a resident of Fort Scott, died early Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2010, at the Fort Scott Medicalodge. She was born Aug. 25, 1922, in Knowles, Okla., the daughter of Truman Elijah Easton and Ethel Belle Isaacs Easton. Following her parents divorce, she was raised by her loving mother and step-father, Douglas Otis Sills. She was united in holy matrimony to Homer Paul Lyons on Aug. 25, 1943, in Wichita, Kan., where they both were working at an airplane parts manufacturing plant. Following Homer's discharge from the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II, they purchased and moved to a farm southeast of Metz, Mo., where they lived and worked until their retirements in the early 1980s. Following retirement, they moved to Fort Scott, Kan.

Clara was active in her community, church, and children's school activities. She held numerous offices in the Metz School PTA and band parent's organizations, and could always be found at basketball games and band concerts in which her children were participating. She accepted Christ as her Savior early in life, and spent the remainder in Christian service. She was a current member of Community Christian Church in Fort Scott and active in the 55 plus Sunday school class. Along with her sister-in-law, Melba Lyons, she played the piano and organ for services at the Metz Christian Church for many years. In addition to teaching Sunday school class, she worked during summer Vacation Bible School and church revivals and was active in the church women's group. A special blessing was received by all at church services and at funerals when Clara and Melba sang duets. Clara was gifted with a beautiful soprano voice that also rang clear and strong with the Fort Scott Sweet Adelines. She was extremely skilled in dressmaking and tailoring, and several sets of Sweet Adeline costumes were created by her.

While living in the Metz community, Clara was a 4-H club leader in first the Metz and later the Rinehart 4-H Clubs. In both Metz and Fort Scott, she was a member of the local women's Extension Clubs. She was extremely proud to have been recently inducted into the Elizabeth Carey Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Survivors include her husband, Homer, of Fort Scott; daughters, Helen Lyons, Mililani, Hawaii, Nancy Thompson and husband, JaWan, Moundville, Mo., Debby Wilson, Nevada, Mo., and Sheryl Torres, Fort Scott; nine grandchildren and step-grandchildren; five great grandchildren; a half-sister, Edna Easton Mitchell, Midland, Texas; a sister-in-law, Madge Lyons Baze, Nevada; and brother-in-law Howard Lyons, Horton, Mo. Also surviving are numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her son, James Delbert Lyons; half-brothers, Edward Emery Palmer, Eugene Earl Palmer, and Leslie Easton; and a half-sister, Lois Easton McFarlane.

The Rev. Kevin Moyers will conduct funeral services for Clara Lyons at 1:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 12, in the Cheney Witt Chapel. Burial will follow in the U.S. National Cemetery, Fort Scott. The family will receive friends from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., Thursday, in the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to the Community Christian Church c/o Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Fort Scott, KS.

Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.