DENTON, Aubrey

Arizona Silver Belt, Globe, AZ Wednesday, January 19, 2011 Long-time Arizona cowboy, Aubrey Denton, passed away Jan. 12, 2011 at Copper Mountain Inn in Globe, Ariz. He was born June 19, 1921 in Gilmer, Texas, to John C. and Minnie Pearl Hawkins Denton, the fifth of 10 children. His family migrated to Arizona in the late 1920’s, by covered wagon, to the Gila Valley. He was raised in the Gila Valley, learning his cowboying trade and working on different ranches all over south-eastern Arizona. Throughout his life, he enjoyed calf roping and team roping competing throughout Arizona and the Southwest. At 19 years of age, Aubrey was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served in the 3rd Army, Third Armored Division under General George Patton. He fought in three major battles, namely the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne, Belgium. When the war was over, he returned to cowboying. In 1946 he met and married Betty Jane Smith in Gilmer, Texas. They had two sons, Rick and Gary. While raising his family, Aubrey worked in the mines of Globe, Miami and Morenci, and was a union construction carpenter working on different road jobs and projects throughout the state. After raising his family, he returned to his love of cowboying again, where he worked throughout Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, until he retired in 1991. The last 20 years of his cowboying days he worked summers on the JY Ranch owned by the Rockefeller family in Moose, Wyo. He wintered in West Texas, working the O6 Ranch in Alpine, Texas and various other ranches in the Big Bend Country and West Texas. The last eight years of his life he returned to Globe and lived with family. He was preceded in death by his parents, and sisters, Tennie Terry of San Bernardino, Calif., Reba Page of Oracle, Ariz., Dureen Davis of California, Ethel May Woodward of Gatesville, Texas; and brother, William Denton of Globe, Ariz. He is survived by his sons, Rick Denton of Queen Creek, Ariz. and Gary (Mary) Denton of Globe; grandchild, Amy Denton of Globe, Ariz.; his brothers, John (Bobbie) Denton of Pecos, Texas, Allen Denton of Phoenix, Ariz., and Grant Denton of Camp Verde, Ariz.; sisters, Ardell Parisott of San Manuel, Ariz., and Mabel Allred of Newport Beach, Calif., and numerous nieces and nephews. A visitation will be on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011, at 10 a.m., at Miles Funeral Services Globe Chapel, 237 S. Sutherland St., Globe, Arizona, with services to follow at eleven O’clock. Interment with Military Honors will be a Globe Cemetery, Hackney Ave., Globe, Arizona