Mollie Rogers was born on 14 December 1864, most likely in North Carolina.¹Mollie Lyon headstone: Geer Cemetery (800 Colonial St, Durham, NC), photographed by Friends of Geer Cemetery, 9 Mar 2021. Used by permission. Where exactly she was born or who her parents were is unknown, but she first appears in records marrying James Nathan Lyon in Durham in January of 1884.²J.N. Lyon first marriage: Ancestry.com. North Carolina, U.S., Marriage Records, 1741-2011 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/2784040:60548 : accessed 4 Jun 2023. Original data: North Carolina County Registers of Deeds. Microfilm. Record Group 048. North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh, NC. James was born in the Creedmoor area of Granville County to Monroe and Mariah Lyon in 1865.³J.N. Lyon death certificate: Ancestry.com. North Carolina, U.S., Death Certificates, 1909-1976 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1566709:1121 : accessed 4 Jun 2023. Original data: North Carolina State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics. North Carolina Death Certificates. Microfilm S.123. Rolls 19-242, 280, 313-682, 1040-1297. North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh, North Carolina. James and Mollie Lyon had one son, Thomas E. Lyon, born 25 May 1885.⁴Birth date: Thomas Lyon headstone: Geer Cemetery (800 Colonial St, Durham, NC), photographed by Friends of Geer Cemetery, 9 Mar 2021. Used by permission. They lived in the East End neighborhood of Durham, listed as renting houses at various addresses on Foster, Strayhorn, Mangum, Dowd, and Haywood streets between 1892 and 1922.⁵Various Durham city directories. James initially worked as a laborer, but started his own grocery business around 1907.⁶Durham, NC Directory 1907-1908 (Durham, NC: Hill Directory Company, 1907-1908) p. 181, Lyons surname; digital image, “North Carolina City Directories,” DigitalNC (https://lib.digitalnc.org/record/25126 : accessed 6 Jun 2023). Thomas is listed as a cigarette packer in the 1900 census and as laborer in the one city directory that he was found in (1905-06), but suffered an early death at the age of 21 on 30 April 1907 and was buried in Geer Cemetery.⁷1900 Census: Year: 1900; Census Place: Durham, Durham, North Carolina; Roll: 1193; Page: 21; Enumeration District: 0032. Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/68148859:7602 : accessed 8 Jun 2023. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls.

City directory: Durham, NC Directory 1905-1906 (Durham, NC: Hill Directory Company, 1905-1906) p. 167, Lyons surname; digital image, “North Carolina City Directories,” DigitalNC (https://lib.digitalnc.org/record/25118 : accessed 8 Jun 2023).

Birth year: Thomas Lyon headstone. As his death was before the advent of death certificates, nothing is known about cause of death or any additional information.

The family grocery business (J.N. Lyon) was initially located on Mangum Street near the intersection with Corporation Street, but in 1922 James partnered with Lonnie Sneed to open Lyon and Sneed grocers at 422 Dowd Street.⁸Durham, NC Directory 1922 (Durham, NC: Hill Directory Company, 1922) p. 334, Lyon surname; digital image, “North Carolina City Directories,” DigitalNC (https://lib.digitalnc.org/record/25156 : accessed 6 Jun 2023). In addition to likely supporting her husband’s grocery business in many ways, Mollie is listed in various records working as a cook, housekeeper, and a laborer at a mattress factory.⁹Various Durham city directories. According to her headstone, Mollie died in 1922 and is buried in Geer Cemetery next to her son Thomas; however, no official death certificate could be found to add more detail to the story of her life and death.¹⁰Mollie Lyon headstone: Geer Cemetery (800 Colonial St, Durham, NC), photographed by Friends of Geer Cemetery, 9 Mar 2021. Used by permission.

After her death, her husband continued in the grocery business. His partnership with Lonnie Sneed having dissolved in the late 1920s when Lonnie died, J.N. Lyon returned to being sole proprietor.¹¹Lonnie Sneed death: North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970 > Durham > Durham Estates Index, 1881-1968, Vol. S-Z p. 83 (Image 62). https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-LGCC-T3C?i=67&cc=1867501&cat=141658 : accessed 6 Jun 2023. He purchased his own home at 403 Gray Street in January of 1928 and remarried, to Annie Brown Bryant, in July of that same year.¹²House: Durham County Deed Book 36: 420; Book 93: 53. (https://rodweb.dconc.gov/web/search/DOCSEARCH5S1)

J.N. Lyon second marriage: Ancestry.com. North Carolina, U.S., Marriage Records, 1741-2011 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/2784040:60548 : accessed 4 Jun 2023. Original data: North Carolina County Registers of Deeds. Microfilm. Record Group 048. North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh, NC. He outlived his second wife as well, and died in 1943.¹³J.N. Lyon death certificate lists him as widowed, though Mollie is shown as his wife rather than Annie. His death certificate lists him as buried in the City Cemetery on Old Oxford Road, but no record of a cemetery exists in that area. However, a Find a Grave database entry suggests he is buried in Geer Cemetery, possibly near his first wife and their son.¹⁴Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/163971577/james-nathan-lyon: accessed 06 June 2023). With Thomas dying at 21, it appears he had no children, thus meaning James and Mollie do not have any descendants either that could add detail to the narrative of the Lyon family contribution to Durham.

MOLLIE LYON

BORN: 14 December 1864.¹⁶Mollie Lyon headstone

DIED: 28 September 1922.¹⁷Mollie Lyon headstone

BIRTH PLACE: North Carolina.¹⁸1920 US Census Durham.

DEATH PLACE: Durham NC.¹⁹Assumed from location of headstone.

SPOUSE: James Nathan Lyon.²⁰J.N. Lyon first marriage.

PARENTS: Unknown.

CHILDREN: Thomas E. Lyon.²¹Birth date: Thomas Lyon headstone.

OTHER FAMILY: N/A

FAMILY BURIED IN GEER CEMETERY: Husband James Nathan Lyon, son Thomas Lyon..

OCCUPATION: Cook, housekeeper, and laborer.²²Various Durham city directories.

CHURCH: N/A

AFFILIATIONS: N/A

ADDRESS: 210 Haywood.²³Durham, NC Directory 1922.

MILITARY SERVICE: N/A

THOMAS LYON

BORN: 25 May 1885.²⁴Thomas Lyon headstone.

DIED: 30 May 1907²⁵Thomas Lyon headstone.

BIRTH PLACE: Durham NC.²⁶Durham, NC Directory 1905-1906.

DEATH PLACE: Durham NC.²⁷Assumed from location of headstone.

SPOUSE: N/A

PARENTS: J.N. and Mollie Lyon.²⁸1900 US Census Durham.

CHILDREN: N/A

OTHER FAMILY: N/A

FAMILY BURIED IN GEER CEMETERY: Father J.N. Lyon, mother Mollie Lyon.

OCCUPATION: Tobacco worker.²⁹1900 US Census Durham.

CHURCH: N/A

AFFILIATIONS: N/A

ADDRESS: 808 N. Mangum.³⁰Durham, NC Directory 1905-1906.

MILITARY SERVICE: N/A