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In Memorium: Phil Gottschalk The Mid-Missouri Civil War Round Table deeply regrets the passing of one of its founding members Phil Gottschalk. Phil was for many years was its main driving force behind the Round Table and editor of its newsletter. Phil researched Missouri’s Civil War history for nearly 30 years. In 1991, he published "In Deadly Earnest," a comprehensive account of the Missouri Brigade. The book won the Douglas Southall Freeman History Award from the Military Order of the Stars and Bars for the best work in Southern history. Phil Gottschalk edited world news at the Tribune from the late 1960s until 1986, but editors everywhere knew of him.
(Read Bill Lay's comments on
what In 1943, he married Mary Jane Barnes of Rushville, Neb., and they divorced in 1966. In 1967, he married Patricia Winchell Echternach, and she died in 1994. Before coming to Columbia he owned and published newspapers in Rushville, Hay Springs and Sidney, Neb. He graduated with honors in 1941 from the University of Missouri School of Business and Public Administration. During World War II he achieved the rank of second lieutenant and commanded a field artillery battery. Most in Columbia knew him either for the "Fan in the Stands" column on Missouri Tigers football that he continued writing until 1998, or for his love of Civil War history. "Everybody at Associated Press knew him," recalled Mike Jenner, a former Tribune reporter who is now executive editor at the Bakersfield Californian. "He would call them on almost a daily basis and berate them when they missed the point of a story. "Sometimes he’d even call up New York and bawl them out. Here was this small paper in the middle of Missouri telling them what to do. They’d recast the story" because of Gottschalk, Jenner said. "He was kind of a gruff, brusk, bread-and-butter newspaper guy," Tribune publisher Hank Waters said. "Some people would
call him a curmudgeon. The office enjoyed him because although he was outspoken,
you could talk back to him, too." "He was a great friend with a tremendous interest in the
University of Missouri," said Clay Cooper, who coached MU football from the
1940s through the 1970s. Cooper said that although Gottschalk’s columns had a strong
editorial slant, they were always well researched. George Lyons The Mid-Missouri Civil War Round Table lost a valued member when George A. Lyons died of cancer on Tuesday, December 14, 1999. Born in Perry County, Pennsylvania, on January 27, 1953 to Dean and Elizabeth Hench Lyons, George married Linn Wenget on April 30, 1977. He worked with the MU Campus Facilities for 14 years and was a longtime member of the Harrisburg Civil War Roundtable in Pennsylvania. A charter member of the Mid-Missouri Civil War Round Table, George Lyons wore many hats. Twice elected President, George also served as the unofficial greeter. From his firm handshake to the interest he showed in veterans and recruits alike, he made you feel welcome. He took notes during every talk, whether the speaker was a published author or a first time presenter, and just to make sure he hadn't missed something important, George was the first to ask questions following the speech. None of this will come as a surprise to the members of the Roundtable, because the Roundtable is composed of people, and people were important to George Lyons. On our field trips, George was an informed and enthusiastic guide, and an enjoyable traveling companion. At the reenactment of the battle of Perryville, Kentucky, George joined the fight as a recruit in the 5th Missouri Infantry, CSA. Following his "basic training," Private George Lyons fell in line and marched to the battlefield where he "saw the elephant." Out of ammunition, he scourged
cartridges from the "fallen" soldiers so he could continue the fight. Later, when asked about his apparent enthusiasm for shooting at his fellow Yankees, George replied: "I was aiming
high. "Nevertheless, the roundtable saw to it that George received his "just desserts" for his wearing of the gray as we celebrated his 40th birthday.
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