i Pennsylvania's first Holstein fieldman, Clarence of Lyon's career are executive secretary Bill Nichol,
Lyons, second from left, was honored with induction Martha Lyons and Lilly Nichol.
into the Hail of Fame. Remembering the early days
Holstein members induct pair
into Association Hall of Fame
BY JOYCE BUPP long-time Pennsylvania Hall of Fame during the
Staff Correspondent Holstein activists were in- breakfast awards program,
MONROEVILLE Two ducted into the Association’s held at last week’s state
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William Conyngham and
Clarence Lyons selection
was announced as the finale
of the awards presentations,
wrap-up event for the annual
confab of the largest state
Holstein Association in the
country.
Conyngham is secretary
treasurer of Hillside Farms,
Inc., Wilkes-Barre. Bom in
1920, Conyngham studied in
Wyoming Seminary and
Yale, then served a tour of
duty with the Navy during
World War 11. He’s
represented Columbia-Luz
eme counties on the state
Holstein board and been a
national director for 28
years, as well as serving a
term as state president and
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 1,1980—A25
chairman of the executive
committee.
Hillside Farms is a third
generation family dairy and
breeding establishment,
with some 150 animals in one
of the state’s oldest herds.
Some of the 75 milking cows
trace back to an original
Dutch black and white that
was shipped to America in
1884, and calved out in 1885.
“We have a better type
herd now than ever before,”
reflects Conyngham of his
many years at Hillside
Farms. Current herd
average is over 16,000
pounds of milk with 600 of
fat. A major ac
complishment of the herd is
that it has produced thirty
100,000-pound producers and
is well know on the show
circuit as well.
Conyngham and his wife
Cornelia reside at Shaver
town R 7. Their two sons are
involved in the operation and
run a dairy store at Hillside.
They also have three
daughters. Active in his
community, Conyngham is
associated with the
Wyoming Historical Society
and is a director of the First
Eastern Bank in Wilkes-
Barre.
For the Pennsylvania
Holstein industry, 1920 was a
banner year, for it also
produced the state’s first
fieldman, Clarence Lyons.
After spending his boyhood
years on a Michigan farm,
Lyons graduated from
Grantham College, and later
served a stint with the Army
during the war years.
On January 1, 1941, he
began his first day of work
for the state’s Holstein
breeders. Organizing local
clubs was one of his main
duties, and he re-established
the classification program,
which had been expended in
1929. Under Lyons’
leadership, the state sales
program and the Garden
Spot sale were begun, and
the Pennsylvania Holstein
News printed its first issue
from an Ohio office.
“Clarence is responsible
for really getting Penn
sylvania’s membership
programs organized and
where we have them todav.”
credits PHA executive
secretary William Nichol.
But Lyons is especially
remembered as the man who
transferred some 2,000
animals registered with
Harrisburg Association into
the national registry at
Brattleboro, Vermont.
During the transfer process
for those papers, Lyons
spent hundreds of hours
researching, updating and
doing the bookwork on:
several animals in the
pedigrees of each animal
eventually transferred into
the national Holstein book.
“Young people growing up
in Lancaster County had a
great respect for Clarence
Lyons,” fondly recalls
Mowery Frey, Jr., who grew
up under the former field
man’s leadership. “He
meant so much to all of us.”
Today, Lyons and his wife
Martha reside at 321 F Eden
Road in Lancaster. Their son
and daughter are both
married, and the Lyons are
proud of their three grand
children. Clarence is now
associated with Kingsway
Realty and active in the
Rotary Club,
Emcee for the breakfast
awards presentations was
Arthur W. Nesbitt, president
of the Ft. Atkinson,
Wisconsin, supply house,
NASCO, International.
A former PHA executive
secretary, Nesbitt is-helping
to spearhead Dairy Shrine
Club efforts to construct an
industry Hall of Fame near
Ft. Atkinson. That museum
is scheduled for con
struction, with the theme of
“Yesterday, Today,
Tomorrow.”
Dairymen of all breeds are
being encouraged to con
tribute toward the
establishment of this
memorial saluting their
contribution to the American
way of life.
The Rev. Richard A.
Morledge, of the First
Presbyterian Church in
Bakerstown, spoke during
the program. “This is the
day” Rev. Morledge had
titled his inspirational
message, which stressed
enthusiasm and positive
(Turn to Pace A 26)