POSTED: December 25, 2009
Robert Russell (Bud) Lyon, 91, of Traer formerly of Toledo, a well-known Iowa agriculturist Jersey Breeder, died Saturday, December 19, 2009, at Sunrise Hill Care Center, Traer after an extended illness. A memorial gathering will be held Sunday, December 27, 2009, 2 to 5 p.m. at Overton Funeral Home, Traer, Iowa. Masonic Rites will be held at 4:30 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorial services will be 10:30 a.m., Monday, December 28, 2009 at the United Presbyterian Church in Traer by Pastor Rick Vesely. Burial will be at a later date at Crystal Cemetery rural Toledo, Iowa. In lieu of flower a memorial fund is being established. Overton Funeral Home, Traer, Iowa was in charge of the arrangements. Condolences may be left at www.overtonservice.com. Bud was born October 26, 1918 in Toledo, Iowa, son of Robert and Adeline Hill Lyon. He and his brother Earl (Jiggs) grew up in rural Tama County. He married Helen McElroy on August 10, 1943 at Lake Forest, Illinois while serving in the U. S. Navy. Bud graduated from Toledo High School and Iowa State University where he was a member of Farmhouse fraternity. Following his Navy service, he farmed and dairied north of Toledo. He was Executive Director of the ASCS (now Farm Services Agency) for 24 years. He and Helen retired to Toledo, but Bud continued to help on the farm for many years. Russell taught GI’s upon their return from service in WWII. He was active in 4-H, dairy promotion, the Iowa and American Jersey Cattle Clubs, the Tama County Democratic Party and the Democratic State Central Committee, the Hiram of Tyre Masonic Lodge, the Order of the Eastern Star, the Iowa Valley Community College Board of Trustees, the South Tama County School Board, the Tama County Historical Society, the Soil Conservation Service Commission, the Reinig-Friedrichs Post # 72 of the American Legion, and was a founder of the Tama-Toledo Kiwanis Club. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Toledo. Bud and Helen are survived by four children, Linda (Mark) Podhajsky of Waverly, Virginia Koon of Ames, Bob (Kathy) Lyon of Ames, and Larry (Karen) Lyon of Franklin, WI. They have nine grandchildren: Matthew (Jennifer) Podhajsky of Palmyra, PA, Tricia (Kelly Rasmussen) Podhajsky of Waverly, Jeff (Annemarie) Koon of Livonia, MI, Courtney Abbot of Grimes, Susannah (Anthony) Hartman of McKinney, TX, Robert Lyon II of Ames, Jennifer Lyon of Denver, CO, Jessica Lyon and Justin Lyon of Kenosha, WI. There are seven great-grandchildren: Jacob and Alexandra Podhajsky, Isaac Van Arkel, Julia and Marissa Koon, Grace Hartman, and Cayden Lyon. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Arla Lyon of Decorah.
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