George Courtlyn “Coot" Garton

George “Coot” Garton BIRTH 5 Dec 1923 DEATH 4 Nov 2002 (aged 78) BURIAL Deerfield United Methodist Church Cemetery Deerfield, Cumberland County, New Jersey, USA MEMORIAL ID 92702241 · View Source

MEMORIAL PHOTOS 0 FLOWERS 0 GARTON, GEORGE "COOT", 78, of Fairfield Township, nationally renowned decoy carver, died Monday morning, November 4 in the Memorial Hospital of Salem County after a brief illness. He had been a patient at the hospital for eight days.

He was the National Champion Carver in 1972, 1973 & 1974 in Babylon, Long Island, NY and World Champion Carver at the Ward Foundation in Salisbury, MD, for several years. He competed nationally in California, Michigan, Illinois and Virginia and won the Miles Hancock Gold Cup in Chincoteague Island, VA. He was a Waterfowl Festival Hall of Fame Recipient for the year 2000 in Easton, MD.

He carved for Duck's Unlimited auctions in Cumberland County, Kent County, Cecil County, Talbor County and Hartford County, all in Maryland. He had served as a guide for the Sora Gun Club in Dutch Neck, Hopewell Township.

Mr. Garton was born in Bridgeton and was the son of the late Clifford C. and Mary Ansink Garton. He had lived at his present address for 47 years and prior to that had resided in Bridgeton. He and his wife, Elvira Casper Garton, would have celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary on December 24 of this year.

Prior to his retirement 23 years ago, he had been employed as superintendent at the former George T. Burt Lithograph Co. in Fairton for 37 years. Before that he had worked at G.L.F. Corp in Bridgeton and the former Price Brothers Label Co. in Bridgeton. He and his wife Elvira had also owned and operated Garton's Grocery Store on Indian Ave. in Bridgeton, for six years. Mr. Garton had also been a real estate salesperson with the Robert Weber Agency in Bridgeton. He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the Pacific Theater with the U.S. Army Air Corp 6th Bomb Group- 61st Squadron. His pilot training began in Ballinger, TX and continued into basic flight training in Richmond, VA, then advanced flight training in Florida. He went to Cuba and the Island of Tinian in the Philippine Islands, with the 22nd Photo Group.

He was a graduate of Bridgeton High School, Class of 1942, then attended Norwich University in Montpelier, VT for advanced flight training. He was a member of the Cumberland County Shriners, Evening Star Lodge #97, F. & A.M., the Scottish Rite Consistory, the Blue Lodge Crescent Shrine Temple, Cumberland County Board of Agriculture, New Jersey Waterfowlers Assoc. and Duck's Unlimited. He was a former member of the Lions Club, Kiwanis Club, and Rotary Club of Bridgeton. He was also a former member of the Fairfield Township Board of Education, the Cumberland County Republican Organization, Buzzard Council of America Artists Assoc. and the Salt Water Fly Rodders of America.

Besides his wife, survivors include: two sons, Gregory C. Garton, Chilton WI, and George C. Garton, II, Fairfield Township; two grandchildren Gregory C. Garton, Jr., Lodi, WI, and Stephanie Garton, Chilton, WI; and three great grandchildren.

Private graveside funeral services will be held, at the convenience of the family, at the Deerfield Methodist Cemetery, Upper Deerfield Township. Burial will follow the services. There will be no public viewing. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Padgett Funeral Home, Upper Deerfield Township.

Published in The Press of Atlantic City on November 7, 2002.