Published: December 12, 2007 10:22 am      

Medley Markham Bryar

Medley Markham Bryar Sr., 94, of Wimberley and San Marcos, long-time resident of Bonne Terre, Missouri, died Thursday morning, Dec. 6, 2007 at his residence in Merrill Gardens Retirement Community in San Marcos.

Cremation has been accorded and private inurnment will be at a later date in Bonne Terre Cemetery.

Thomason Funeral Home of San Marcos is in charge of arrangements.

Memorials may be made to Bonne Terre Memorial Library, 5 Southwest Main St., Bonne Terre, Missouri 63628.

Bryar was born on Feb. 19, 1913, in Standard, Louisiana, the son of Medley and Olivia (Markham) Bryar. He spent most of his life in Missouri. He graduated from Bonne Terre High School in 1929 at the age of 16. After attending business college in St. Louis, he went to work for Valley Dolomite of Bonne Terre in 1930 and retired from there as plant manager in 1975.

Medley married Flora Mae Wright on Thanksgiving Day in 1934. They celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary this November. She survives along with three children, Patricia (Larry) Lock of Kewanee, Illinois; Jill (Donald) Wood of Wimberley, Texas; Robert (Jennifer) Bryar of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; four grandchildren, Lesley (Wood) Schultze and Fred Wood, both of Houston, Texas; Amy (Lock) Folse of Parker, Colorado; Matthew Bryar of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; and four great-granddaughters.

He was preceded in death by a son, Medley Markham Bryar Jr., two sisters and a brother.

He was a longtime member of the boards of Bonne Terre School District and Bonne Terre Hospital. He also served on the Bonne Terre Memorial Library and Bonne Terre park boards.

Bryar was an avid sports participant and fan. He excelled at golf, bowling and fishing; he especially enjoyed the outdoors, helping out on his daughter’s ranch (Bryarwood) near Wimberley until age 90. After moving to Texas in 1994, he and Flora Mae became San Antonio Spurs fans; but they remained St. Louis Cardinal fans. A fond memory was attending Cardinal games in the 1930s. He also enjoyed genealogy and visiting and conversing with family, friends and whomever he might meet.