Person:Vera Monroe (1)

Vera Wood Monroe Lyon was born in Columbus Kentucky. She came to Guthrie, Kentucky in the fall of 1909 to teach music and song in the grade school which was about to open. There she met and was later married to Burnie Marion Lyon on May 18 1910 by the Rev.George C.Abbitt at the Grace Episcopal Church in Guthrie Kentucky. Her talent was playing the Piano/Organ and did so as a school teacher. When the family moved to Paragould Ark, she then became the Piano/Organist at the local theater (seen in picture) for silent movies. For memory, Silent movies had no music or spoken dialogues. The dialogues were written on screen and a musician,in this case pianist or organist would play the partition which accompanied the film.Those who knew her said she also played at the Old Bethel Methodist Church. Upon the death of her husband, in the middle of the great depression, she moved back to Columbus, Hickman County Kentucky where her mother Susan Mary Winn Monroe lived. There she lived with her son until World War II began. Her son enrolled in the Navy. After the war was over, they moved to Lexington, Kentucky to begin his studies in Geology at the University of Kentucky. She did benevolence work at the Stewart's Home School [24] in Frankfort Kentucky where she left her baby grand piano when she retired. Her younger son William purchased a house in 1957 at 2901 Westside Dr. (later 629 Cecil Way) where they would all live. She would also spend time with her other son James Monroe Lyon in Tulsa Oklahoma where she played the piano at the Boston Ave. Methodist Church. She is buried in the Lexington Cemetery. Babo

The Collins Theatre, at Second and W. Emerson, was first known as the "Capital Theater

1.   Find a Grave.

   [11]

2.   Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
3.   Hopkinsville Kentuckian, Tuesday July 5,1910.
   Deal Closed.
   Guthrie, Ky., July 4.-at a meeting of the board of trustees of the Guthrie Graded School the deal was closed for the purchase Watson College building, which will now be known as the Guthrie Graded School. The purchase price was $4,900, and extensive repairs will be begun at once, and by the first of September will be ready for occupancy. Mr. C.H. Gifford, of Maysville, Ky, will be the principal of the school, and his assistants will be Miss Perry, of Richmond, Ky, Mrs. Lula J. Choate and Miss Jessie Carr Bourne, of Guthrie. Mrs.Vera Wood Monroe Lyon will be teacher of music and voice.
   [12]
4.   Hopkinsville Kentuckian, May 24,1910
   Sunrise Wedding. Guthrie, Ky., May 21 -Wednesday morning at 5;30 o’clock in the Episcopal church, Miss Vera Wood Monroe and Mr. B. Lyon were united in marriage by Rev. G.C. Abbitt, rector of Grace Episcopal church, of Hopkinsville, in the presence of a large number of friends. Mrs. Lyon came to Guthrie last fall from Columbus, Ky. to teach music and has endeared herself to a large number of friends here. Mr. Lyon is a valued employee of the L. and N. Railroad Co. at Guthrie.
   [13]
   The Hopkinsville Kentuckian, Thursday, May 26, 1910
   Attending Annual Council. Rev. G.C. Abbitt, rector of Grace Episcopal church,, and Messrs. H.I. Minty, Ed Curtis and B.G. Nelson, delegates, are in Louisville attending the eighty-second annual council of the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky, the session of which began yesterday at St. Marks church in that city. The council will continue in session until tomorrow.(This fact may explain why Vera and Burnie's marriage was held at such an early hour).
   [14]
5.   The Paducah Evening Sun July 21 1909
   Miss Vera Monroe has been elected instructor in piano and voice at the college of Guthrie, Ky., for the term which begins this fall.
   [15]
6.   The Paragould Soliphone, Friday, March 10,1922.Porter-Graves Nuptials.
   Mrs. B.M. Lyon, who conducted the musical portion of the service in her talented manner. Softly played the “Romance” from Tannhauser[16] while the vows were being taken. At the conclusion of the ceremony the rapturous notes of the “Wedding March” from Lehengrin [17] burst forth and the procession being formed the party left the auditorium.
   [18]
7.   The Weekly Soliphone, Paragould Ark. Friday, August 20 1915. Local News. Mrs. Sue Monroe of LaGrange, Ga., who has been visiting her daughter, Mrs. B.M. Lyon, left this morning for Columbus, Ky., where she will visit for two weeks before returning to Georgia. Mrs. Lyon and son Jim, accompanied Mrs. Monroe and will visit in Kentucky for ten days.
   [19]
8.   The Daily Press, Paragould, Ark., Wednesday, March 7, 1917
   Teachers’Meeting. The regular monthly meeting of the Greene County Teachers’ Association will convene in this city on Saturday of this week. Among the interesting features of the program will be a piano recital by Mrs. B.M. Lyons…
   [20]
9.   The Paragould Soliphone. October 27 1922.
   Highly interesting session of W.C.T.U convention last evening at First M.E. Church.
   The music of the evening's program was very beautiful and appropriate. Especial reference is deserved by Mrs. Vera Monroe Lyons (sic) for a beautiful solo, and little Miss Reba Thompson and Master Joe E.Wilbourn delighted the audience with songs of a very pleasing character.
   [21]
10.   The Paragould Soliphone, Octogber 25, 1922.
    State Convention Womens Christian Temperance Union to be convened in Paragould for 3 days-44 session.
    Wednesday, Oct. 25-7:30 p.m. Solo-Mrs.Vera Monroe Lyons (sic), Paragould
    [22]
11.   The Paragould Soliphone, June 1 1921.
    Local Girls Meet with Y. for Service...Mrs. B. M. Lyon spoke on music as a profession, stating that, as in other callings, it was necessary to start at the beginning and work up, and that her profession offered opportunity for service in many phases of community life, churches and schools. Especially does school music permit one to give of their best and do all 'round work.
    [23]