Leone M. Orton Our angel mother, Leone Roberta Miller Orton, passed away in the early morning hours of January 5, 2019, having faithfully completed her earthly mission. She was born on November 22, 1926 in Penrose, Utah, the daughter of George Lewis Miller and Alice Roseina Rohwer. She was raised on the family farm in Penrose where she learned life lessons of love, compassion, faith, loyalty, and work hard, interspersed with much happiness, laughter and fun.
She was the middle child in a large family of brothers and sisters. Mom graduated from Bear River High School, then she attended Brigham Young University in Provo, UT. When World War II broke out, she worked as a supply clerk at Hill Air Force Base.
She also worked at an ice cream parlor, Keeley’s, where she likely developed her life-long fondness for chocolate milkshakes. During that time, she met a tall, handsome soldier who was home on leave, Gordon Orton, and they married on December 20, 1946 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. After Dad was discharged, they established a home in Salem, Utah, where they resided and raised their growing family until late 1966.
The lived briefly in Phoenix, Arizona, then relocated to Plain City, Utah, where they lived until Dad’s death. Dad and Mom established a successful construction company, Gordon C. Orton Construction Company, both working hard to provide for their family and a of employment for many young men in Plain City, including their own sons, Gary and Brad. They retired after 20 years, then served in the Ohio Columbus Mission, Bellefontaine Branch, for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1987-88).
Mom and Dad were happily married for 62 years until Dad’s death in December 2008. They were always a team and complimented each other’s abilities, and (most days) brought out the best in each other. Mom was an exceptional wife and mother, passionately devoted to her husband and her children.
Her faith in her Heavenly Father and her Savior was unshakeable throughout her life and she instilled this faith in her children. Mom served in all the LDS Church auxiliaries during her life; she had a beautiful singing voice and participated in many ward and stake choirs. Music was always a central theme in our home and music lessons for all of the children was compulsory.
Our mom’s life is the embodiment of kindness, charity, service and faith, and she lived these attributes every single day. She believed in putting her shoulder to the wheel and doing her duty with a heartful of song. She always looked on the bright side of things and refused to give in to discouragement.
Her children are the recipients of her enormous gifts and talents. Mom is survived by her children, Terry (Hollie), Star Valley, WY; Jan (Gene) Tabish, Salt Lake City, UT; Gary (Betty), Star Valley, WY; and Brad (Charlene), Plain City, UT; and her son-in-law, Karl Schlossnagle (Kellen, deceased), Layton, UT. She is also survived by her brother, Neil Miller (Jennifer), Basin, WY; and her sister-in-law, Sarah Baird (Fred, deceased), Provo, UT; and many grandchildren, great grandchildren, and nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband and her daughters, LeeAnn and Kellen Joy; her parents, her brothers, George and Wendell, and her sisters, Lucy, Lael, Geneil, and Joy. Funeral services will be conducted on Wednesday, January 9, 2019, beginning at 11:00 a.m. at the Plain City 4th Ward LDS Church, 2335 North 4350 West, Plain City, Utah. A viewing will be held on Tuesday, January 8, 2019, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Myers Mortuary, 845 Washington Blvd.
, Ogden, UT, and at the church from 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday. Burial will be in the Plain City Cemetery. We wish to express our deep appreciation to Mom’s various caregivers at Apple Village Assisted Living Center, and especially those at Quail Meadow Assisted Living Center, where she has lived for the past month, who gave us a few more precious weeks with her.
We know there was a joyous reunion in Heaven with our parents, our sisters and other family members, and we are grateful for the blessing of an eternal family that will allow us to reunite someday.
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