Wendall Walton, SR

Wendall Bartlett Walton, Sr.
September 25, 1923 - February 22, 2015

Wendall B. Walton, Sr., of Hiram, Georgia died peacefully at home on Sunday, February 22, 2015. He was 91.

Wendall was one of seven children born to John Everett and Nellie Hill Walton: John, Louise (Turner), Kate (Heaton), Bonnie (Ard), Allene (Bradford), and Joe, all of whom preceded Wendall in death. Wendall was reared on the family farm in Hiram, and graduated from Hiram High School as Salutatorian in 1940.

The next March, in 1941, Wendall married his high-school sweetheart, Lucille Abernathy, with whom he celebrated 72 years of marriage shortly before her passing in 2013. In 1943, Wendall joined the U. S. Army Air Corps and trained as a bombardier, but saw no combat because the war ended while he was in training.

Wendall was the perfect example of the twentieth-century man: a dedicated husband to Lucille, and a loving father to four children: Karen (Mrs. Kendall) Taylor, Teresa (Mrs. Dick) Donovan, W. B. Walton, Jr., (Tina) and Keith Walton (Shirley). He spent time with his siblings and their families whenever possible and was a model family man in every respect.

On returning home after his discharge, he moved to Atlanta and worked all of his adult life in the transportation industry, beginning with Southern Railway, then the Coca-Cola Company, Bell Aircraft, Sears-Roebuck, and Johnson Motor Lines, where he began as a sales representative in 1951 and was thereafter appointed Director of Sales for the Gulf Division of Johnson in 1962, Manager of Operations and Sales for the Southeastern Region, and elected Vice-president of Johnson in 1969. Wendall retired from Johnson in 1978 and joined Southern Tea as Materials Manager, then Distribution and Traffic Manager and finally as Vice-president for Transportation before he retired from Southern Tea in 1994.

Wendall was a 32nd Degree Mason, a member of the Bartlett Lodge, F&AM, in Hiram, and was to receive his sixty-five year apron in February, 2015.

Wendall was a life-long Methodist, having been baptized at Bethel Methodist Church in Hiram, where he was again a member at the time of his passing. He was involved in all the activities in the church, singing in the choir, teaching the adult Bible class, chairing the Administrative Board, active in the Council Ministries, and serving as President of the Methodist Men's Club. Wendall also served in the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church as Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Atlanta Southwest District. He stayed up all night at Bethel Church to barbecue pork and make Brunswick stew every October, and slaved over a hot deep-fryer every Spring for the church's annual fish fry, serving up fresh fish caught by the Men's Club on jaunts to Florida every year or catfish netted from his lake. He was a tireless and energetic servant of his Lord, whether as cook, lay leader or chorister.

Although no one is really sure where he found the time, he was also involved with the National Defense Transportation Association as Past President of the Atlanta Chapter, Past Georgia State Vice-President, and Past Southeastern Regional Vice President. In 1977, not surprisingly, he was honored as the same NDTA Atlanta Chapter's Man of the Year. He was also Motor Carrier Director of the Transportation Club of Atlanta, Past Chairman of the Board and Past President of Southern Shipper and Motor Carrier Council, and served on the Board and was elected to the " Chairman's Circle" of the Georgia Freight Bureau (whew!).

It simply isn't adequate to say that Wendall will be missed. He filled a spot in so many people's lives and made such a difference to all who knew him. He was rarely if ever without a smile, always welcoming a new friend or rejoicing in seeing an old friend. His birthdays were busy with phone calls from people with whom he had worked or served or played baseball or cards. He was a crack shot, loved to shoot dove and hunt deer, and to fish. He labored tirelessly in his garden, kept his ducks and the fish in his lake fed and his beautiful azaleas weeded and trimmed. In 91 years, his values never changed, and so he never began a meal, even if only sardines-in-mustard-sauce or Vienna sausages with saltines while sitting cross-legged on the grass on the bank of his lake, without first giving thanks to God.

He leaves to remember him, in addition to his sons and daughters and their spouses, ten grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren to whom he was always known as "Pa" even in his 40s, as well as a host of nephews and nieces and friends and neighbors, all of whom are saddened by his passing but so very glad to have had the great good luck to know him.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, February 25, 2015, at 11 AM, from Bethel United Methodist Church, with Reverend Beverly Casstevens and Reverend Wilton Moulder officiating. Interment will follow in Bethel United Methodist Church Cemetery. Brian Taylor, Brett Taylor, Jason Foley, Shane Walton, Jeremy Walton, Logan Taylor, and Brandon Graves will serve as pallbearers. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Tuesday, February 24, 2015, from 5 PM until 8 PM.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be sent to Bethel UMC at 1444 Bethel Church Road, Hiram GA 30141

Clark Funeral Home in Hiram, GA, is in charge of arrangements.(www.samclarkfuneralhome.com)