Claude Orton Burton

The above photo of the Claude Orton Burton family in 1947 was found on Family.Search.org. Pictured are: on the left in back row, Alberta Worthen Burton, and Claude. In the front tow are left to right, Claudia Burton, Donald Erle Burton, and on the right, Frankie Lou Burton. Standing between his parents in the back row and his siblings in the front row was Claude's big brother, Edward Ambrose Burton.

Claude Orton Burton was born May 26, 1903, in Parowan, Iron, Utah, to Edward Ambrose Burton and his wife Ada Lucy Orton Burton., who were married in 1898. In the 1910 U.S. Federal Census for Parowan, Iron, Utah, Claude was 6 years old, living with his parents, Edward A., 36, and Ada, 38, and younger brother, Earl E., who was 3 years old. Edward and Ada had been married 11 years and had three children, two of whom were still living. Edward was working as a sheep raiser with his own herd, and he owned his own home free from a mortgage.

Edward passed away in 1918 from bronchial pneumonia following the Spanish Influenza epidemic that year. He was only 44 years old at the time of his death. According to his obituary in the Parowan times, he was the sixth victim of the disease in Parowan, and he was highly respected by all who knew him, was a public spirited man at all times, loyal to his home town, county and country. Edward was the owner of the Parowan Drug Store for some time, disposing of that business and entering the sheep business which he successfully ran in connection with farming.

Two other children had been born to Edward and Ada, Ambrose Orton Burton who lived only two weeks in 1901, from December 12th to December 26th, and a baby boy who was unnamed and was born and died in 1908.

In the 1920 U.S. Federal Census for Parowan, Utah, Claude was 16 years old, living with his widowed mother, Ada, 48, and his brother, Edward, E., 12, and grandmother, Sarah Orton, a 76-year old widow. Sarah had come to the USA in 1861 from England and was naturalized in 1867. Claude was working as a farmer and his brother Edward as a farm laborer.

On his 23rd birthday he married Alberta Worthen in Iron county, Utah, in 1926. Alberta was 17 years old at the time. In the 1930 U.S. Federal census for Parowan, Claude O., 26, and Alberta W., 21, were living with their two daughters, Claudia, 3, and Frankie, one and a half years old, in a home they were renting for $10 per month. Claude was working as a farmer. Next door was Claude's uncle, Franklin Joseph Burton, 57, a physician in general practice, and his wife, Ida, 37, and their daughter, Betty, 5, and Ida's daughter from a previous marriage, Orna Johnson, 18, and Orna's daughter, Cleone, who was 7 months old. Uncle Frank owned his home which was valued at $3,000. Orna had gotten married at the age of 16 years old. Where her husband was living at the time is unknown.

In the 1940 U.S. Federal Census for Parowan, Claude, 36, and Berta, 31, were living with their children, Claudia, 19, Frankie Lou, 11, and Edward Ambrose, 4 years sold. They owned their own home which was valued at $1,900.00 and Claude was working as a truck driver in the oil industry. For the 52 weeks he worked 60 hours per week at that profession in 1939, his income was $728.00. Another son, Donald Erle Burton, was born August 10, 1940.

Claude passed away November 26, 1956, at the fairly young age of 53 years old from a cerebral embolism. His daughter, Claudia, married Kenneth Collins Clark (1924-1987), and she passed away January 21, 1971, in Cedar city, Iron county, Utah, when she was not quite 44 years old.

Claude's other daughter, Frankie Lou Burton, married Ramon Bentley, Jr., on July 5, 1952, in Parowan, Utah. Ramon passed away August 13, 1988, and Frankie lived for about another 24 years and passed away on April 11, 2012. She loved Parowan and was very active in her church, many committees, service groups, and civic affairs. Frankie also supported cancer awareness causes, and she made Parowan a better place to live. She was survived by her sons Donald and wife Lori Bentley, and Craig and his wife Cindy, daughter-in-law, Brenda K. Bentley, son-in-law Donald McGurk, and brothers, Ted A., and wife Marlene Burton, and Donald and wife Laura Burton.