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Laythol Wayne (Shorty) Quaintance

Posted 2009-05-15 by Eastern Arizona Courier
Laythol Wayne Quaintance
April 23, 1927-May 3, 2009

Laythol Wayne (Shorty) Quaintance, 82, of Safford peacefully passed away Sunday, May 3, 2009, at St. Mary's Hospital in Tucson.
Laythol was born on a farm near Emmetsburg, Iowa, to Leland Lafayette Quaintance and Lucy Medley Quaintance on April 23, 1927. He was delivered by his grandmother, Sallee Medley, who traveled by train from Bushnell, Nebraska, with her 6-year-old son Martin to assist with the birth. Laythol was the second of seven children.

Laythol attended a country school in Hartley, Iowa, and then in 1935 the family moved to Bushnell, Neb., for two years. In 1937, the family moved back to a farm southwest of Milford, Iowa, where he attended Lake Okoboji Consolidated School through 11th grade.

He possessed an insatiable curiosity and a keen mind, both of which led him to live a wonder-filled dream quest sort of life that included traveling with the L.G. Kelly & Miller Bros. Circus when he was just 16; harvesting wheat with the earliest vintage self-propelled combine harvesters along with his parents, brothers and his new wife as they worked their way from Texas to Canada and back each fall; building and driving stock cars in Iowa and Montana in the late '50s and early '60s; inventing several ingenious patented objects, including an early fuel efficient carburetor, cleverly designed star-shaped magnets for ratchet socket wrenches that are still on the market and an air brake safety device called the “Rig-a-Dig."

He also owned and ran irrigation well drill rigs in Nevada and Arizona; legally caught and transported wild horses to be used as rodeo stock; worked on oil wells; was the foreman of a four-section ranch in central Nevada; worked as a journeyman mechanic at the Coors Brewery; restored several antique and classic cars and started several businesses.

He loved flying and was a competent pilot. He had more than 2,000 hours logged in his Cessna 182, his Beechcraft Bonanza plus three different antique airplanes that he restored.

After living in Iowa, Nevada, Montana, California and Colorado, he spent the last 30 years of his life in Arizona, living in Glendale, Florence, Pima, Ft. Thomas and Safford.

He married Marita M. Clifford on Sept. 27, 1947, in Jackson, Minn. To this union five children, whom he loved dearly, were born. After 25 years of marriage, his appetite for travel and adventure allowed that marriage to end. He was later married three other times, most recently to Lorri Carter, who now lives in Fort Thomas.

Later in his life he was quite active in the First Baptist churches in Florence and Pima. He found his work with a prison ministry to be particularly rewarding.

Laythol is survived by his maternal uncle Martin L. Medley of Seattle, Wash., and his paternal aunt Lola M. Sorensen of Owatonna, Minn.; his brothers, Leland V. (Ella) Quaintance of Melvin, Iowa, Stanley L.(Yong) Quaintance of Killeen, Texas; and sister, Leatha J. (Bob) Kulm of Twin Falls, Idaho. He is also survived by his children, Linda (Wally) Zimmer of Superior, Mont., LaDonna (Doug) Thomas of Boise, Idaho, Duane (Carolyn) Quaintance of Hamilton, Mont., Daryl (Alyce) Quaintance of Avila Beach, Calif., and Dennis (Nancy) Quaintance of Greensboro, N.C.; eight grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Laythol was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, LaDean (Lloyd) Tokle, and his brothers, R. Kenneth Quaintance and Ronald W. Quaintance.

A memorial service was held at the First Baptist Church in Pima on Thursday, May 7.

Funeral services will be at the Grace Lutheran Church in Hamilton, Montana (275 Hattie Ln.) on Saturday, May 16, under the direction of Daly Leach Memorial Chapel.

Interment will be at the Riverview Cemetery in Hamilton.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, JDRF.org.

Published on Sunday, May 10, 2009 Eastern Arizona Courier.




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