LYMAN DEAN FROST

    Lyman Dean Frost was born June 27, 1933 to Roy Raymond Frost and Bernice Laverta Foland Frost. He was welcomed by an older brother, Raymond Harold Frost, at their home on a farm near Beaconsfield, Iowa. They later moved to a farm north of Diagonal, Iowa where he started his schooling in a one-room country school. Then they purchased a farm south of Mount Ayr and Dean began school in Mount Ayr when he was in fourth grade in 1943 and graduated from there in 1951. He played football in high school and was a member of the undefeated team in 1949. Following high school, he worked at the Skelly Station, Mount Ayr Mill & Feed and ASC office out of Creston where he traveled to several counties in the district. He later worked at the Benton filling station for Keith and Betty Cole and then worked at Dugan Conoco for Earl Dugan. He worked then as a plumber for Gerold Willey for four years before going into carpentry work with Wilbur Byrns and Bill Thrasher. They built many new homes around the Mount Ayr area and northern Missouri. After deciding to go out on his own as a carpenter, he did many remodeling jobs and finally did handyman work until declining health prevented him from working.
    On April 11, 1953 he married Esther Louise Groves of Benton. They became the parents of two daughters, Sandra Kay and Deanna Lynne, who kept them busy with their activities in school and church. In June 1970 they took into their home two foster children, Janet Lee and Mark Edward Packwood, a sister and brother who were in high school. Keeping up with the four teenagers was a challenge with all their added activities but it was a joy to be able to see all four graduate and go on with their lives.
    The family attended the United Presbyterian Church where Dean was baptized and became a member in 1968. As a member he served as an elder, he and Louise were youth leaders; he taught Sunday school and spent many hours working on the church basement, turning it into a youth center called ‘The Cellar’ for any youth from Mount Ayr and the surrounding areas. He and Louise belonged to a Mariners Group, which was a group for married couples. He was also on the committee when the United Presbyterian Church joined with the First Baptist Church and when they built the new United Baptist-Presbyterian Church.
    Dean was overjoyed when he became a grandpa with the birth of Tracey Jo Breckenridge who was later joined by Ryan Dean Breckenridge, Amber Marie Sobotka and Jennifer Lynne Sobotka. He loved to go to their activities traveling many miles to attend. Later he welcomed two great-grandchildren, Jacob Ray and Katie Jo Fees.
    Dean passed away on July 21, 2012. He was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Bernice Frost; sister-in-law, Roberta Frost; nephew, Dale Frost; father-in-law, Carl Groves; brother-in-law, Tom Groves, and sister-in-law, Maxine Bucy.
    Dean is survived by his wife, Louise Frost of Mount Ayr, Iowa; daughters, Sandy Breckenridge of Des Moines, Iowa and Dee Dee Sobotka and husband Kenny of Diagonal, Iowa; foster children, Jan Breckenridge of Annapolis, Maryland and Mark Packwood of Chicago, Illinois; four grandchildren, Tracey (Brent) Fees, Ryan Breckenridge, Amber (Lester) Elliott and Jennifer Sobotka; seven foster grandchildren, Adam Breckenridge, Amy (Josh) Barkley, Nathan Breckenridge, Kevin Breckenridge, Crystal Wilson, Justin Packwood and April Packwood; two great-grandchildren, Jacob and Katie Fees; brother, Harold Frost of Mount Ayr, Iowa; mother-in-law, Iona Groves of Mount Ayr, Iowa; two brothers-in-law, Dave (Betty Lou) Groves of Mount Ayr, Iowa and LeRoy Bucy of Creston, Iowa; longtime friends, Hugh and Kay Terwilliger, and other relatives and friends.
    A memorial fund has been established in his name to be decided later. Arrangements were by Watson-Armstrong Funeral Home in Mount Ayr.
    Services were conducted at the United Baptist-Presbyterian Church in Mount Ayr on Tuesday, July 24, 2012, with Pastor Brent Fees officiating. Musicians included Fay Howie and Tracey Fees.
    Burial was in the Benton Cemetery in Benton.