David Eugene Lyle, 78, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Tuesday, April 16, 2019, at Mayo Clinic Hospital, St. Marys Campus-Rochester, following a short battle with incurable Interstitial Lung Fibrosis. His loving wife of 58 years was at his side as he entered his eternal home in Heaven.

Dave was born on April 23, 1940, in Austin to Bruce and Agatha Lyle of Oakland, Minnesota. He attended a country school near Oakland for eight years, then attended Austin High School and graduated in 1958. He grew up on his family’s farm, where he toiled alongside his father and two brothers doing crop farming and feeding beef cattle and hogs. He learned how to work hard and passed on a great work ethic to his three sons. Dave was very active in the 4-H Club program in Freeborn County and held several offices in his 4-H Club and County. He loved showing cattle and was awarded a trip to National 4-H Club Congress in the Beef project. He was also very involved in FFA through Austin High School, held local and district offices, and participated in many judging contests on the state level for both 4-H and FFA. He attended Austin Community College for one year and then started farming with his father.  He took a break and served in the Minnesota National Guard. He married his neighbor, Lucretia Lightly, on Sept. 30, 1961, in Austin. Dave loved the soil and was a true farmer at heart. He highly valued the fact that he was farming fourth generation land and the family was given the “Century Farm” award. His favorite time of year was harvest and over the years he progressed from simple to high tech harvest equipment. Harvest was usually done with his father and cousins. He also loved to plow, as turning the soil over brought him great pleasure in preparing the soil for spring planting.

Dave was very involved in his community as a 4-H volunteer leader and he and his wife, Lu, started the County 4-H Ambassador Leadership program, leading it for many years. He was active with the Mid America Dairy Association, Farm Bureau and Fairview Cemetery. He also served the Lord through his church in Austin as Sunday School superintendent, trustee, deacon and, along with his wife, working with the youth. He enjoyed mowing the church lawn and helping out in many areas. He was a member of First Baptist and Grace Baptist Church. Dave was a loving father who taught his three sons many skills of farm work and worked alongside them in doing farm chores, milking cows, field work and working with their 4-H animals. When the family went through the farm crisis in the 80s, he went to work at Hormel to provide for the family’s needs. He held jobs in the kill and then became a retort cooker. He was employed there for 20 years, but still managed to farm his land and play golf. He was an avid sports fan. He especially loved watching his grandkids play various sports or perform in a concert. He and his wife Lu took their sons camping for many years and had fun going places and doing things together. Many years later, they enjoyed “Cousins Camp” with five of their grandkids. Dave and Lu loved visiting Ireland and Scotland in celebration of their 50th anniversary. They enjoyed 55 years in their country home until they moved to the Village Co-op in Austin, where they currently reside. He was a wonderful, caring husband, father and grandpa. He loved his family and was proud of who they were. He had a ready smile for everyone and loved to talk farming, but his priorities were his faith in Jesus, his family and friends. He will be missed by all who knew him.

Preceding him in death were his parents; and son, Jeffrey Lyle. Dave is survived by his wife, Lu of Austin; sons, Thomas (Mary) of Maplewood, Minnesota, and Robert (Jacinth) of Jacksonville, Florida; grandchildren, Lauren, Jake, Rachel (fiancé Caleb Baker), Samantha, Alexandra, Olivia and William Lyle; brothers, James (Pat) of LaPorte, Minnesota, and John (Mary) of Monmouth, Illinois; sister-in-law, Mary Hansen of Austin; brothers-in-law, Charles (Shirley) Lightly of Austin, and Ken (Cathy) Lightly of Blooming Prairie, Minnesota; and nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends.

A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, 2019, at Grace Baptist Church in Austin. Visitation will be one hour before the service on Saturday at the church. Interment will be in Fairview Cemetery in Oakland. Clasen-Jordan Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.