Bill (Eldred) Payton |
| Posted 2009-09-16 by Sharon |
| The Wickenburg Sun, Wickenburg, AZ May 11 2005, p. B9 Wickenburg resident Bill Payton died Monday (May 9) at the Sunwest Care Center in Sun City West. Services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 18 at St. Anthony's of Padua Catholic Church in Wickenburg, with Fathers Brian Bell and John Vogt officiating. More information will be provided in next week's Wickenburg Sun. ~~~~~~~~~~ The Wickenburg Sun, Wickenburg, AZ May 18 2005, p. B10 Bill Payton Bill (Eldred) Payton passed away May 9, 2005 at Sun West health Care Center in Sun City West, after a lengthy illness. He was born July 19, 1921 in Ima, N.M. to Jimmie and Will Payton, and was the youngest of five boys. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers. He leaves his wife Bets, son Tim and (Virginia), grandson Jarrett, and great-grandsons Gage, Tyler nad Wade. Bill attended grade and high school in Fort Sumter, N.M., and New Mexico State College in Las Cruces. Before completing college, he enlisted in the Navy in 1942 and served in the Pacific, mainly on Midway Island as a Petty Officer First Class Aviation Fire Controlman. He then went on to Whidby Island, Wash., and to the Naval Air Station at Jacksonville, Fla. He and Bets became pen pals when he was at Midway Island, and they met in Union Station in Chicago 9where bets lived) when he was in transit from Whidby to Jacksonville. They were married in Jacksonville in 1945, where Tim was born. Following his discharge in 1948, the couple lived in Chicago, where Bill attended the American Television Institute of Technology, graduation in 1953. After moving to St. Charles and Geneva, Ill., Bill became a private contractor and was a member of the St. Charles American Legion and Moose Lodge No. 1368. He was also a member and president of the St. Charles Optimist Club in 1979. Bill hadn’t given up his wish to learn to fly, so he took lessons in a single-engine plane and earned his private pilot’s license and an instrument rating. He fell in love with Wickenburg when he flew here to visit Bets’ sister. He and Betz moved to Wickenburg in 1980, and Bill worked part-time. He was a volunteer drive for the Red Cross for 12 years, taking resident to doctors and hospital in the Phoenix area. He was also a member of the Central Arizona Chapter of the Red Cross Disaster Action Team. Bill was a Third Degree member of the Council No. 9838 in Wickenburg. He also transferred membership to the Wickenburg American Legion Post No. 12 and joined the Wickenburg Elks Lodge No. 2160 in 1980. He enjoyed playing golf almost daily at the Wickenburg Country Club until illness prevented him from playing. Mass will be celebrated today (Wednesday, May 18) at St. Anthony’s Church , with Frs. Brian Bell and John Vogt officiating. Bill never lost his love for Wickenburg and all the friends he made here, and he will be missed by all who knew and loved. ~~~~~~~~~ Correction for Bill Payton obituary The Wickenburg Sun, Wickenburg, Sun May 25, 2005, p. B9 Two errors were made in the Bill Payton obituary published in the May 18 issue of The Wickenburg Sun. Bill attended grade school and high school in Fort Sumner, N.M., not Fort Sumter as published last week. He was a Third Degree member of the Knights of Columbus Council No. 9838 of St. Anthony’s in Wickenburg. See Also: Find A Grave |
Note: These obituaries are transcribed as published and are submitted by volunteers who have no connection to the families. They do not write the obituaries and have no further information other than what is posted within the obituaries. We do not do personal research. For this you would have to find a volunteer who does this or hire a professional researcher.
Questions About This Project?