Besse Lyon

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Besse D. Lyon, 87, a resident of Montgomery, died Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2002, in a local hospital.

She was born in Converse, La. She attended nursing school in Shreveport, La., where she met, fell in love with and married Dr. Frank E. Chapman. They had a daughter, Joan.

Besse and Frank moved to Montgomery in 1943. Dr. Chapman passed away in 1947. Besse remained in Montgomery, where she worked at Huntingdon College for many years. She married John Lyon in 1953, and they were married for 40 years prior to John's death in 1993.

In addition to her service at Huntingdon, she worked in the Alabama State Legislature. She was instrumental in the reorganization of the Montgomery Humane Society and served as treasurer and as a board member for over 30 years. She was active in the First United Methodist Church in Montgomery and was also a member of a Montgomery garden club for over 50 years.

Funeral services will be held Friday, March 1, 2002, at 3 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, with Bishop Paul Duffey officiating. A private burial service will follow at Greenwood Cemetery. The family will accept friends at the church one hour prior to the service.

She was preceded in death by: two husbands, Dr. Frank Chapman, M.D., and John F. Lyon; parents, O.D. and Allie Dow; and sister, Audrey Dow Crooks.

She is survived by: a daughter and son-in-law, Joan Chapman Jones and Gerald Jones of Cape Girardeau; one brother, David Dow of Bosier City, La.; three grandsons, John Peyton Powell of Huntsville, Ala., James Strong Powell of Memphis, Tenn., and Andrew David Jones of Cape Girardeau; one granddaughter, Claire Jones Karnes of Cape Girardeau; three great-grandchildren, Chapman Powell of Wetumpka, Ala., and Riley Katherine Jones and Nicholas Anderson Karnes, all of Cape Girardeau; sister-in-law, Nell Chapman Simmons; niece, Olivia Martin of Atlanta; and three cousins, Robert Arrington and Mary Arrington of Ramer, Ala., and Evelyn Goldthwaite of Montgomery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church, the Montgomery Humane Society, Huntingdon College or to the charity of one's choice. Leak Memory Chapel is directing.