LEON EUGENE DUTTON

Leon Dutton

Leon Eugene Dutton, 88, of Greensboro, Ga., died at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 6, 2023.

He was born Feb. 25, 1935, in Astoria, a son of Harry Dutton and Beulah Bankes Anderson. He married Sandra “Kay” Beck on Nov. 17, 1956. She survives.

Also surviving are two children: one daughter, Katharine (and Sam) Thiemes of Centennial, Colo., and one son, Michael (and Doreen) Dutton of Greensboro, Ga.; one brother, Charles (and Anita) Dutton; half-siblings, Jim (and Robyn) Dutton, Becky (and Greg) Lundeen, Carla Gordon and Lyle (and Pat) Engle; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by one half-sister, Peggy Davis.

He started his adult life as a truck driver for Watson Trucking then Flowers Trucking in Canton. He later secured a job at the AMAX Coal Sunspot Mine in Astoria as a welder. Over the next 26 years he worked various jobs at the mine and retired when the mine closed in the mid 1980s.

His true passion was always farming and in 1973, Leon and Kay purchased a farm in Vermont Township and spent the next 50 years making it their home and livelihood. They worked the farm together and raised beef cattle until Kay suffered a stroke in 2011. It was at that point that his focus changed from farming to caring for her. In mid-2021, he was diagnosed with cancer and went through treatments. They then made the decision to move to Georgia to be closer to family.

He attended Astoria United Methodist Church. He served the U.S. Army Reserves (six years), was a member of the United Mine Workers of America (26 years) and the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons (56 years).

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 16, at Astoria United Methodist Church, 305 W. Broadway, Astoria, with Pastor Bob Greene officiating.

Memorials may be made to Astoria United Methodist Church.

Published in the Astoria South Fulton Argus on 9/20/2023