Gail Bovee was born on November 11, 1943 on Veterans Day in his bathtub in Lyons. Gail grew up with two brothers and while he was in school, he enjoyed playing basketball and he also liked to be a part of the school plays. He started high school in Lyons and he graduated from Rosalie in 1962 with a class of 13 people.

He said that the turning point in his life “was when I, in 1965-1968, joined the army and went to West Germany.” His job in the army was a heavy equipment operator. After the army he went to a trade school for automotive repair which led to his first mechanic job in Tekamah. Gail got married in 1970 to his wife Lin in Bancroft. They had two daughters together that are ten years apart in age. They now get to enjoy their three grandchildren.

Gail also used to teach a mechanic class for Lyons a few nights a week, which was sponsored by the school. Gail used to be on the Lutheran Church Council for three years, and he was also on the advisory board for ten years.

In 1978, he started working on cars in Lyons. Gail eventually moved to Lyons in January 1976, and he started his business in the late 1980s or early 1990s until he retired in 2000.

Now that Gail is retired, he enjoys going to his grandchildren’s sports games. He also likes to go out to his favorite restaurants, Pop and Docks, and the Green Lantern in Decatur. Some things he likes to do are go to the football games, paint pictures, work on cars, and to go to the local fairs.

Gail says since he has moved here, the community has changed dramatically. He explained how the town was “popping back in the fifties” and that one of the biggest changes is how large some of the businesses are getting like Brehmer Manufacturing in Lyons. Some things that Gail says he misses are the drug stores, bowling alley, and the car shows. Some things he wishes for are car shows, fairs, and a bowling alley. He also said that he would like to see Lyons bring back the movie theater and bring back businesses like a barber, a bakery, and an ice cream shop. He also wishes the 4th of July party would bring back the car shows they used to have.

Gail supports his community by buying groceries at the grocery store. He also supports his community by going to the senior center and the Lyons HiWay Cafe. He also explained how he uses the local businesses to work on his cars and trucks and to fix their lawn mower. His wife Lynn also likes to use the local salon, Linda’s Shear Impressions, to get her hair done.

Before I left Gail, I asked why he has stayed in Lyons for all of this time and he answered, “because of the people here.”