Tom Alton, 81, died Friday, Feb. 18, at River Falls Area Hospital.
The son of Clara Wallin Alton and Thomas "Roy" Leroy Alton Sr., he was born Aug. 29, 1918 on a farm in Mann Valley near River Falls.
When he was two years old, the family sold the farm and moved to a house on Elm Street. He worked in his father's grain elevator business during the Depression years and recalled later that young people of that time accepted things as they were and didn't realize they were poor.
After graduating from high school in 1936, he went to Alaska and worked at many jobs, including gold mining and road construction.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in March of 1942 and trained as a pilot. He flew 72 combat missions from North Africa to Italy and then was assigned to air transport in the Pacific for the rest of the war.
On Sept. 1, 1947 he married June Tweed, whom he had met when she attended college in River Falls and boarded in his parents' house.
After their marriage, Tom and June lived in Portland, Ore., where he worked in sales for Durkee Foods.
In 1950 they move to Prairie Farm, where he worked as a partner in his wife's father's hardware store.
In 1955 Mr. Alton bought the Dodge Hardware in River Falls. He operated that store until the early 1960s when he sold the business and went to work at A.W. Lund Hardware. He retired in 1982 and June died in 1983.
He married Audrey Luberg Black in February of 1987.
Mr. Alton was an active Mason and was named Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Wisconsin in 1978.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his first wife.
Mr. Alton is survived by his wife: Audrey Black Alton; children: Barbara Alton Stein, Tom Alton Jr. and Brian Alton; son-in-law: Duane Stein; daughters-in-law: Katherine Alton and Bonnie Alton; sisters: Joyce Pell, Betty Fuqua and Joan Alton; and grandchildren: Thor Daniel Stein, Mari Stein, Jessica Stein, Amanda Alton, Jack Alton, Joseph Alton and Charlie Alton.
Interment was at Greenwood Cemetery.
The son of Clara Wallin Alton and Thomas "Roy" Leroy Alton Sr., he was born Aug. 29, 1918 on a farm in Mann Valley near River Falls.
When he was two years old, the family sold the farm and moved to a house on Elm Street. He worked in his father's grain elevator business during the Depression years and recalled later that young people of that time accepted things as they were and didn't realize they were poor.
After graduating from high school in 1936, he went to Alaska and worked at many jobs, including gold mining and road construction.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in March of 1942 and trained as a pilot. He flew 72 combat missions from North Africa to Italy and then was assigned to air transport in the Pacific for the rest of the war.
On Sept. 1, 1947 he married June Tweed, whom he had met when she attended college in River Falls and boarded in his parents' house.
After their marriage, Tom and June lived in Portland, Ore., where he worked in sales for Durkee Foods.
In 1950 they move to Prairie Farm, where he worked as a partner in his wife's father's hardware store.
In 1955 Mr. Alton bought the Dodge Hardware in River Falls. He operated that store until the early 1960s when he sold the business and went to work at A.W. Lund Hardware. He retired in 1982 and June died in 1983.
He married Audrey Luberg Black in February of 1987.
Mr. Alton was an active Mason and was named Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Wisconsin in 1978.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his first wife.
Mr. Alton is survived by his wife: Audrey Black Alton; children: Barbara Alton Stein, Tom Alton Jr. and Brian Alton; son-in-law: Duane Stein; daughters-in-law: Katherine Alton and Bonnie Alton; sisters: Joyce Pell, Betty Fuqua and Joan Alton; and grandchildren: Thor Daniel Stein, Mari Stein, Jessica Stein, Amanda Alton, Jack Alton, Joseph Alton and Charlie Alton.
Interment was at Greenwood Cemetery.
Tom Alton, 81, died Friday, Feb. 18, at River Falls Area Hospital.
The son of Clara Wallin Alton and Thomas "Roy" Leroy Alton Sr., he was born Aug. 29, 1918 on a farm in Mann Valley near River Falls.
When he was two years old, the family sold the farm and moved to a house on Elm Street. He worked in his father's grain elevator business during the Depression years and recalled later that young people of that time accepted things as they were and didn't realize they were poor.
After graduating from high school in 1936, he went to Alaska and worked at many jobs, including gold mining and road construction.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in March of 1942 and trained as a pilot. He flew 72 combat missions from North Africa to Italy and then was assigned to air transport in the Pacific for the rest of the war.
On Sept. 1, 1947 he married June Tweed, whom he had met when she attended college in River Falls and boarded in his parents' house.
After their marriage, Tom and June lived in Portland, Ore., where he worked in sales for Durkee Foods.
In 1950 they move to Prairie Farm, where he worked as a partner in his wife's father's hardware store.
In 1955 Mr. Alton bought the Dodge Hardware in River Falls. He operated that store until the early 1960s when he sold the business and went to work at A.W. Lund Hardware. He retired in 1982 and June died in 1983.
He married Audrey Luberg Black in February of 1987.
Mr. Alton was an active Mason and was named Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Wisconsin in 1978.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his first wife.
Mr. Alton is survived by his wife: Audrey Black Alton; children: Barbara Alton Stein, Tom Alton Jr. and Brian Alton; son-in-law: Duane Stein; daughters-in-law: Katherine Alton and Bonnie Alton; sisters: Joyce Pell, Betty Fuqua and Joan Alton; and grandchildren: Thor Daniel Stein, Mari Stein, Jessica Stein, Amanda Alton, Jack Alton, Joseph Alton and Charlie Alton.
Interment was at Greenwood Cemetery.
The son of Clara Wallin Alton and Thomas "Roy" Leroy Alton Sr., he was born Aug. 29, 1918 on a farm in Mann Valley near River Falls.
When he was two years old, the family sold the farm and moved to a house on Elm Street. He worked in his father's grain elevator business during the Depression years and recalled later that young people of that time accepted things as they were and didn't realize they were poor.
After graduating from high school in 1936, he went to Alaska and worked at many jobs, including gold mining and road construction.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in March of 1942 and trained as a pilot. He flew 72 combat missions from North Africa to Italy and then was assigned to air transport in the Pacific for the rest of the war.
On Sept. 1, 1947 he married June Tweed, whom he had met when she attended college in River Falls and boarded in his parents' house.
After their marriage, Tom and June lived in Portland, Ore., where he worked in sales for Durkee Foods.
In 1950 they move to Prairie Farm, where he worked as a partner in his wife's father's hardware store.
In 1955 Mr. Alton bought the Dodge Hardware in River Falls. He operated that store until the early 1960s when he sold the business and went to work at A.W. Lund Hardware. He retired in 1982 and June died in 1983.
He married Audrey Luberg Black in February of 1987.
Mr. Alton was an active Mason and was named Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Wisconsin in 1978.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his first wife.
Mr. Alton is survived by his wife: Audrey Black Alton; children: Barbara Alton Stein, Tom Alton Jr. and Brian Alton; son-in-law: Duane Stein; daughters-in-law: Katherine Alton and Bonnie Alton; sisters: Joyce Pell, Betty Fuqua and Joan Alton; and grandchildren: Thor Daniel Stein, Mari Stein, Jessica Stein, Amanda Alton, Jack Alton, Joseph Alton and Charlie Alton.
Interment was at Greenwood Cemetery.
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