Dwight Burton Sr.

Dwight Barnes Burton Sr, 93, Graysville, passed away at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, at Cobblestone Crossings Health Campus, Terre Haute.

He was born Nov. 6, 1929, in Sullivan, to Herbert and Mabel Bessie Barnes Burton. He was a 1947 graduate of Graysville High School. He received his certificate of completion in Agriculture in 1948 at Purdue University, certificate of completion at Light and Heavy Equipment School, in 1951, Ft. Benning, Georgia, and was a pre-engineering student at Indiana State College in 1956. He was a member of Kingsley Memorial United Methodist Church, Sullivan BPOE Elks Lodge 911 and Masonic Lodge. He was a member of the El Shaddai Community and went on the Walk to Emmaus. He was in the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1954, serving in Ft. Benning, GA, and at Ft Bragg, Fayetteville, NC, where he was in the 82nd Airborne and was a sergeant serving as a paratrooper section leader. He was also on the pistol team. In 1957, his wife and two children moved to Redondo Beach, Calif., where he was owner of a Richfield Service Station and then worked at several businesses as an "A" maintenance mechanic. In 1962 he had a near-death accident at work and after that decided to move back to Indiana in 1963, with now a family of five, to work on the dairy farm with his father. Then later had his own farm and raised hogs and crops. He and Howard Unger were Sullivan County's first "no-till" crop planters in the 60s. He loved all animals, esp. his dogs and horses, Jeeps, Harley Davidson motorcycles, speed boats and old cars. He rebuilt a 1936 Cord, a division of the Auburn Automobile Co, which was the first American-designed and built front-wheel drive car with independent front suspension.

He is preceded in death by his wife of 71 years, Marijune Miller Burton, who died Jan. 10, 2023; his parents; one brother, Darrel Lee Burton; and one son-in-law, James Doolittle.

Survivors include a brother Bill Burton of Sullivan, two daughters, Darcy (Sid) O'Dell, Sullivan, and Mary (Bruce) Dust, Saint John, and one son, Dwight "Barney" (Susan) Burton Jr, Graysville;  six grandchildren, Sarah (Sean) Chapman, and Aaron (Mackenzie) Hoffner, both of Sullivan, Jamie (Jake) Kunz, Kent, Wash., Shannon Doolittle, San Diego, Kathleen Doolittle, Saint John, and Myles "Solly" (Catherine) Burton, Graysville. He had eight great-grandchildren, Connor Brundige, Chloe Baker, Morgan Chapman, Kate and Avery Hoffner, Otto and Calvin Kunz, and Jethro Burton.

Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, at Holmes Memorial Chapel, Sullivan. Services will be at 1 p.m. with Pastor Erich Blevins officiating. Burial will follow with military rites at Johnson Cemetery, Graysville, next to the family farmhouse. "God Bless Dwight."