LaVern Johnson died in 2022. Before her death, she was referred to as the matriarch of Lyons. On May 1, Lyons Middle Senior High School will honor her memory with an auditorium dedication.
Johnson spent most of her life in Lyons and she attended every event she was able. Her family established itself in the area before Lyons was founded as a town in 1881.
The school and the surrounding neighborhood now rest on land that was owned by Johnson’s great-grandfather John Reese.
Johnson graduated from Lyons High School in 1945 and worked feverishly to keep it from closing.
“We had to save it. We campaigned from 1948 to 1970 and we finally passed the bond,” Johnson said in a 2017 Times-Call article marking her 90th birthday.
The dedication event is marked as a Fine Arts Festival and will feature the artistic and musical talents of students.
The event will begin at 4:30 with the unveiling of a new sign outside the auditorium. A dedication ceremony will follow with speeches from Dr. Don Haddad, SVVSD superintendent and members of the Board of Education that will honor Johnson and her legacy.
The ceremony will be followed by performances by the Lyons Middle Senior bands and choirs and student artwork will be displayed in the auditorium lobby.
