Norma Lyon facts for kids
Norma Duffield Stong "Duffy" Lyon (born July 29, 1929 – died June 26, 2011) was an American farmer and amazing artist. She was famously known as The Butter Cow Lady. Duffy Lyon created incredible butter sculptures at the Iowa State Fair every year from 1960 until she retired in 2006. She also made special sculptures for famous people and other big events.
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Duffy Lyon's Early Life
Duffy Lyon was born in Nashville, Tennessee, on July 29, 1929. Her dad, Benton J. Stong, was a newspaper reporter. Her grandma, Bertha Clark, helped start the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. Also, her uncle, Phil Stong, wrote a book called State Fair. This book later became three movies and a musical!
Duffy went to Iowa State University to study animal science. At that time, women were not allowed in the Veterinary Sciences program. While there, she learned how to sculpt from a talented artist named Christian Petersen.
Family Life and Farming
On July 22, 1950, Duffy married Gaylord "Joe" Lyon in Ames, Iowa. They moved to Toledo, Iowa, where they ran their own dairy farm called Lyon Jerseys. Duffy and Joe had a big family with nine children!
Her Amazing Career as The Butter Cow Lady
In 1960, Duffy Lyon took over the job of creating the famous Iowa State Fair butter cow. This tradition had been going on since 1911!
Over the years, she started making other amazing sculptures out of butter. Some of her famous butter creations included:
- Country music star Garth Brooks
- Rock and roll legend Elvis Presley
- Actor John Wayne
- The popular Peanuts comic characters
- A cool Harley-Davidson motorcycle
- A butter version of the famous painting American Gothic by Grant Wood
- Even a scene of the Last Supper
She also made busts (sculptures of a person's head and shoulders) of TV hosts like Katie Couric and Matt Lauer, and even former President Barack Obama. Once, she made a cheese bust of David Letterman for his TV show!
Duffy Lyon became quite famous. In 1963, she appeared on a TV show called To Tell the Truth. Two of the show's panelists, Kitty Carlisle and Tom Poston, correctly guessed that she was the real Butter Cow Lady. Later, she appeared on Late Night with David Letterman with her cheese cow sculpture. A book about her life, called The Butter Cow Lady, was written by Brenda Mickle in 2002.
Later Years and Legacy
Duffy Lyon retired from making butter sculptures in 2006. She passed away on June 26, 2011, at the age of 81, in Marshalltown, Iowa. She left behind a loving family, including her husband, nine children, 23 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Her incredible talent and the joy she brought to millions at the Iowa State Fair will always be remembered.
