Laura "Lolly"

M. Lyons

+1

Laura "Lolly" Marie Lyons, 84, of O'Neill, died Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 at Avera St. Anthony's Hospital in O'Neill.

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024 at Page United Methodist Church in Page. Pastor Janene Reynolds will officiate.

Memorials may be made to the family for future designation.

Biglin's Mortuary in O'Neill is in charge of the arrangements.

Laura was born on Oct. 19, 1939 in O'Neill. She was the only child of Benjamin Harry Oetter and Reta Belle Wilkinson. Lolly knew the value of hard work but never the love of a sibling. Her early childhood was spent on the Oetter homestead located in the Bliss area (near Chambers).  Then came the war.  Her father immediately enlisted and proudly served his country until being captured in Manheim, Germany.  Benjamin remained a POW until the end of WWII with the family fearing him dead. Laura would often recount the tale of traveling to California by train to be reunited with him once he was healthy enough to travel back to the Oetter farm.

Benjamin and Reta transitioned from farm life to becoming business owners, running the O'Neill Insurance Agency and later a local pub in Butte before Ben became a Holt County Deputy in the early 1950's.Lolly often told stories of spending time with friends in Butte and visiting her father at work in the Holt County courthouse. Misfortune struck again when her parents divorced and Lolly was sent to stay with her grandparents Hiram and Cora Wilkinson in O'Neill.  

When Reta remarried, Lolly spent some time in Dover, DE, and Washington state, but ultimately returned to O'Neill, where she graduated from O'Neill High School in 1957. 

Laura met her husband Billy Don Lyons through friends and classmates. After a short time courting, they were married on Aug. 31, 1958.

Laura supported Bill while he worked for Fox Brothers Hay Company and on the Schaffer Ranch, as they began to build a family of their own, with sons Mark and Michael. The family then moved to Creighton where tragedy followed when Michael sustained an injury that would leave him paralyzed as Laura carried her third son Marty.  The couple's only daughter Cora followed as Bill continued working as a ranch hand in the Creighton area and Blair, where Laura worked as a secretary for Blair Cattle Company.  

The family moved to Custer County and while Bill worked for the Dawson County Road Department, Laura ran the cafe in Oconto and later worked as a CNA at the Callaway Hospital.  

Missing life on a ranch, Bill accepted the task of running a large cattle ranch in Climax Springs, MO.  It was here that, 13 years after the birth of their last child, Bill and Lolly were blessed with their youngest son Billy Jon.  

After Bill injured his back for the fourth time and became permanently disabled, Laura had her hands full with one son just completing his military service, her handicapped son preparing to head off to college, a second son enlisting and still two younger children at home.  After some thought and with encouragement from her family, Laura brought the family back to her “home” in Holt County where her uncle Ray Wilkinson had an available property in Page.  It was there that she and Bill finished raising their children while Laura ran the Page Legion Cafe, worked as the janitor at the Page Public School and held various odd jobs in and around the community.  

  Laura was a devoted mother to her sons and raised her daughter to be strong and independent. She may have had what some might say was a hard life, but it was a full life that touched many along the way, and for that we will always be grateful.

Laura is survived by four of her children Mark Lyons of Page, Marty Lyons of Herrick, SD, Cora Calkins of O'Neill and Billy Jon “BJ” Lyons of Inman, 14 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her son Michael in 2003 followed by her husband Bill in 2017, after over 58 years together.     

(0) COMMENTS

Welcome to the discussion.