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Elton L. King (1982)

KING, KINGERY, ROSS

Posted By: Treva Patterson (email)
Date: 3/18/2006 at 12:18:40

The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, September 22, 1982

Elton King, Winterset

Elton L. King, 74, life-long Madison county resident who received wide acclaim for his paintings of the county's covered bridges died of a heart condition at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines Saturday, Sept. 18.

Mr. King was instrumental in starting the Little League baseball program here in 1956. He was an avid sports fan and could be found at most Winterset High School sporting events.

He was active in the Kiwanis Club and edited the monthly newsletter. He was a charter member of the Winterset Art Center and his paintings were always popular at the Sidewalk Art Fair and during the Covered Bridge Festival.

Born July 19, 1908 in Grand River township near Macksburg, he was one of five children of William F. and Mildred (Kingery) King. He grew up on the family farm and attended the Macksburg schools graduating in the class of 1926.

He attended Iowa State University and graduated in 1930 with a degree in agriculture education. He was a member of the Farm House fraternity.

He taught for two years at the county agriculture school in Park River, N.D., then went to Whiting as the vocational ag instructor. Though he liked teaching, a deteriorating hearing condition forced him to leave that profession in 1935.

He then entered government work as an agronomist with the Civilian Conservation Corps, moving on to become a soil scientist with the Soil Conservation Service. He received many awards and tributes for this work in developing soil surveying programs and techniques. His pioneering work provided a training basis for use in later years in the state and nation.

On Feb. 3, 1934, he was married to Fern Ross of Macksburg. They were the parents of one son and one daughter, Steven and Karen Rae. In 1945, the couple moved to Winterset from Anamosa.

He was a member of the Winterset United Methodist Church where he had served in numerous capacities, including Sunday school superintendent and as a Sunday school teacher.

Survivors include his wife, his son and family of Algona; and three grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his daughter, Karen Rae, two brothers and two sister, Kenneth and George and Stella and Sarah.

Services were held Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Byron Ayers officiating. Burial was in the Winterset Cemetery.

Link to Gravestone Photo
 

Madison Obituaries maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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