John Burton

Born on June 22, 1944, to Harold and Violet Burton, John spent his life ranching on the Upper Bear River. He grew up on the ranch, raised his family on the ranch, and created wonderful memories with his wife, Carolyn, on the ranch. He seldom found reason to leave the ranch and rarely for more than three or four days at a time.

After graduating from EHS in 1962, John attended Utah State University. Although he enjoyed his time in Logan, unsurprisingly, he missed the ranch and soon returned to the Upper Bear River. John and Carolyn were married in 1968, and he found that the only thing he loved more than the ranch was his family.

Throughout his life, John enjoyed few things more than good horses. It started as a young boy when he rode his horse to the Fairview School through the eighth grade. For many years he used a team to put up the hay and feed the cows through the long winters. His favorite horses to ride were snappy, quick mares. Whether he was irrigating hay meadows or fixing fence, John did it horseback.

He enjoyed working in the hayfield and appreciated quality equipment. In John’s opinion, the only tractors worth owning were green. It was in the hayfield that he taught his daughters to drive and how to operate machinery. Recently, one of his favorite activities was letting his youngest grandsons learn to drive across the hayfields, with Grandpa and Grandma enjoying every bump along the way.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Violet; his daughter, Holly; and his sister, Loretta. He leaves behind the love of his life, Carolyn; his daughters, Kim (Ira) Brackett of Three Creek, Idaho; Jaime (Adrian) Hunolt of Evanston; and Lori (Brok) Thayn of Farmington, Utah; seven grandsons and two granddaughters; and his sister, Nita Virden.

A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 24, at the Evanston Roundhouse. Friends and neighbors are invited to gather and share stories.