Small-town journalist dies
Special to the Gazette
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Mickey Lynn, 78, died Monday morning, April 6, 2009, at her home in Iola.
She was born Sept. 9, 1930, to Walter William and Nell Watson Killough in Elk City, Okla. The family followed her father’s career with International Harvesterto Des Moines, Iowa, and Melbourne, Australia.
Mrs. Lynn attended the University of Melbourne where as a freshman she met Emerson Lynn Jr., who also was a student there as a Rotary Fellow. They were married Jan. 27, 1950. They returned to the United States and first lived in Wichita where he worked for the Wichita Beacon as a general reporter and then farm editor. In 1951, they moved to Humboldt, where they published the Humboldt Union. Mrs. Lynn kept the Union’s books and worked as a reporter, while also raising their children. For one legislative session, she ran the entire operation while Emerson Lynn worked as an Associated Press intern covering the Legislature. In 1958, they bought the Bowie, Texas News, also a weekly newspaper, and continued the tradition of small town journalism. In 1965, they moved to Iola and purchased the Iola Register from his uncle, Angelo C. Scott.
Mickey served on the boards of the Ecumenical Christian Ministries for the Regents Universities, Iola Housing Authority, Girl Scouts and as a deacon and elder of First Presbyterian Church. The church recognized her as its “Woman of the Year” in 2007. She was an avid gardener and volunteer, excellent cook and gracious host. She set a beautiful table and bore the standard for entertaining. She traveled the world with her husband and had a keen interest in politics and world events.
Other survivors include her children, Emerson K. Lynn and his wife, Suzanne, of St. Albans, Vt., Michael J. Lynn and his wife, Beverly of New Haven, Conn., Angelo S. Lynn of Middlebury, Vt., and Susan Lynn and her husband, Dr. Brian Wolfe of Iola; 13 grandchildren; a brother, Walter W. Killough of Kaneohe, Hawaii, several cousins and a multitude of friends.
Family visitation is 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at Waugh-Yocum & Friskel Chapel in Iola. The funeral service is at 3 p.m. Friday at Iola’s First Presbyterian Church. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery in Iola.
Memorial gifts are suggested to Friends of Bowlus in care of the funeral home.