Luther Clay Lyons

Luther Clay Lyons, 87, of Fort Scott, Kan., died Thursday, Jan. 25, 2007, in Topeka, Kan., following a lengthy illness. He was born May 24, 1919, at Rich Hill, Mo., to Frederick Thomas Lyons and Nannie Brown. He married Neva I. Lyons on Sept. 12, 1942, in San Diego, Calif.

They moved to Fort Scott in 1945. She preceded him in death on Feb. 17, 2004. Mr. Lyons attended Fulton High School and worked at an aircraft defense plant in San Diego. He joined the Army Air Corps and moved to the 58th Armored Infantry Battalion as an antitank gun crewman. He fought in the European African Middle Eastern Theater (Germany) and was awarded a Purple Heart in 1945. He returned home on the Queen Mary. He was a member of the Olson-Frary-Burkhart VFW Post No. 1165 and served on their honor guard for more than 15 years. He worked for the Frisco Railroad for 36 years as a brakeman and conductor and was a member of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and was a volunteer for Meals on Wheels for more than 20 years.

Survivors include two daughters, Brenda Ketner, Castle Rock, Colo., and Betty Wade, Topeka; five grandchildren, Douglas Ketner, Aurora, Colo., Erin Ketner-Scott, Castle Rock, Colo., Stephen Wade, Pittsburg, Kan., Heather Kildis, Tampa, Fla., and Tiffany Wade, San Antonio, Texas; and seven great-grandchildren. Also surviving are four sisters, Bessie Adamson, Fort Scott, Margie Northrop, Fort Scott, Eileen Roloff, San Diego, Ella Mae Harris, Port Angeles, Wash.; and three brothers, Robert "Bob" Lyons, Fort Scott, Charles "Skip" Lyons, Sacramento, Calif., John Lyons, Columbia, Mo.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 61 years, sisters Vinita Bowers and Lena Saunders and brothers Jack Lyons and Lee Lyons.

The family will receive friends Monday, Jan. 29, at 10 a.m., at Cheney-Witt Chapel, Fort Scott, with funeral services following at 10:30 a.m., with Jared Witt officiating. Burial with full military honors by Olson-Frary-Burkhart VFW Post No. 1165 will follow in U.S. National Cemetery at Fort Scott.

Memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society and may be sent to Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Fort Scott, Kansas, 66701.

Condolences may be emailed to the family at cheneywittcondolence@cpol.net.