Charles “Cy” I. Moyer
Charles “Cy” Irvin Moyer of Phillipsburg, Kansas, passed away April 7, 2023, at the age of 88, in Highland, Doniphan County, Kansas. He was born on June 22, 1934, in Severance, Doniphan County, Kansas, on the family farm in a house built by his Grandfather. Cy was the son of C.I. Moyer and Ruth (Corcoran) Moyer. He was the middle of three children, with an older and younger sister. His childhood was spent enjoying the life of a boy on the farm. At the age of 14, he and his family moved to Topeka.
Cy attended grade and middle school at Lavernce School in Severance and Highland, then continued at Topeka High School, where he graduated in 1952. Following high school, he attended Kansas State University in Manhattan (K-State), graduating with a degree in animal husbandry in 1957. His time in Manhattan set him up to become a lifelong “Purple Pride” fan. While at K-State, he was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. After K-State, Cy graduated from the Graduate School of Banking, University of Wisconsin, in 1965 and National Trust School, Northwestern University, in 1975.
After college, Cy moved to Phillipsburg, Kansas, where he began working with the Culbertson family in First National Bank’s Agricultural department. He appreciated and valued this lifelong association with the family and community. In 1967 Cy was elected to the FNB Board of Directors.
In December of 1976, he became the CEO and Executive Vice President of the bank following the untimely death of his friend and mentor Kent Culbertson — a position he held until 1999. In 1996, he was elected Chairman of the Board, a position he held until the time of his death. Professional accomplishments for which Cy was most proud include his appointment by President Bush to the President’s Council on Rural America from 1990-1992 and his tenure as the Director of the Federal Reserve Bank — Tenth District, Kansas City, Missouri from 1992-1994 and being Chairman of the Kansas Independent Bankers Association.
During Cy’s time in Phillipsburg, he became known as a steadfast supporter of the community through his involvement in the United Methodist Church, Highway 36 Association, Phillipsburg Elks Lodge, Phillipsburg Lions Club, Chamber of Commerce, Phillips County and Kansas 4-H, and the Phillipsburg City Council.
Through Cy’s early years in Phillipsburg, he found a great friend in McDill “Huck” Boyd. Cy appreciated Huck’s mentorship over many years. After Mr. Boyd’s passing in 1987, Cy was a driving force behind the establishment of the Huck Boyd Institute and remained a Board member until the time of his death. In addition, Cy was instrumental in the founding and creation of the McDill Huck Boyd Community Center in Phillipsburg.
Cy began serving at the Dane G. Hansen Foundation in 1996. He had learned of Mr. Hansen through his parents and was privileged to have known him before Mr. Hansen passed away. In 1996 Cy became a member of both the Dane G. Hansen Foundation and the Board. He retired from these positions in December of 2022. He was an honorary participant in the groundbreaking of the Logan LIFE Center in March of 2023. The Logan LIFE Center was something Cy strongly believed in and tirelessly supported.
In 1958, Cy married Charlotte Lee Lybarger. To this union, three children were born: Charles Bryant, Clinton I., and Jaret Lee. Cy and Charlotte made their home and life in the Phillipsburg community until the time of her passing in 2001. In 2002, Cy was united in marriage to Gladys V. Hazlett Sutton.
Cy is preceded in death by his parents, his wife Charlotte and her parents Janey and Clarence Lybarger, his oldest sister Elizabeth Gaile Peach and her husband Dick, Gladys’s son George as well as several aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Survivors include his wife Gladys, his children Bryant and wife Lanny of Topeka, Kansas, Clinton and wife Lisa of Overland Park, Kansas; Jaret and his wife Shawna of Emporia, Kansas; Jeannette and husband Bill Prochazka of Phillipsburg, Kansas; his sister Ruth Anna Gerald and brother-in-law Wayne Lybarger. Surviving grandchildren are Colton Moyer, Samuel Moyer, Michaela Belcher, Arissa Kennedy, Sarah Kocher, Ryan Sutton, Colin Sutton, and many great-grandchildren and an unlimited number of friends.
Thomas L. Holder
Thomas Lee Holder (known to many as Tommy Lee the Musician), age 87, of Manhattan, died on Saturday May 20, 2023, at the Meadowlark Hills Retirement Community in Manhattan.
Tommy was born on December 12, 1935, in Junction City, Kansas, the son of Mary Quinn. She passed away from childbirth pneumonia, and Tommy was raised by his grandmother, Alice Quinn. She taught him that hard work and honesty was the key to life. Tommy attended Junction City schools and graduated from Junction City High School with the class of 1953.
Tommy organized several bands from the age of 14. His first band was a Neighbor Dixieland Band, then when he was a freshman in high school, he played with the Rhythm Kings. They performed at many school dances. In 1953, he moved to Manhattan he started the Tom Holder Quartet, then joined the Gordon Bute Big Band, and later he formed the Tommy Lee Band in 1957. Over the years, he filled in and played with many other bands in the area.
As he learned from his grandmother, working hard was important, and he always had a job. He worked at the Dairy Queen in Junction City, and then in Manhattan he was the assistant manager at the newly opened Dairy Queen. He later was promoted to manager and then limited partner in September 1958. The Dairy Queen was sold in 1967, Tom was part of the business for 21 years.
After Dairy Queen, he went to work for J.C. Penney in the management program. A year later, he was contacted by the Union National Bank in Manhattan. He interviewed with the Chairman and Owner of the Bank, Tom Griffith, and was hired in the summer of 1969. He enjoyed his career at the bank, working there for 33 years. Tom worked as a teller, general bookkeeper and then was promoted to the loan department, then loan security officer in 1972. He helped engineer the move to the new bank at 7th and Poyntz. He was then promoted to Assistant Vice President in 1974, and in 1976 he became the VP of Loans until his retirement.
He was preceded in death by his daughter, LaShelle Pennell.
Tom is survived by his wife, Betty Holder; his daughters, Mary Newman, of Ozark, Missouri and Kimberly Whitley, of Lincoln, Nebraska; his grandchildren: Crystal Bachoritch, Savannah Miller, Abby Lang, Lacy Schlegel, Afton Lopez, and his grandson, Corey Whitley; and also, his eleven great-grandchildren.
