Lee Dutton went home to be with the Lord after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease on April 22, 2007.

Visitation will be Thursday from 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. at Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis with an informal story and song/praise and worship celebration beginning at 7:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held Friday, April 27, 2007, at 2:00 p.m. at the Kinkade Funeral Chapel with Pastor John Williamson officiating. Burial will follow at the Vale Cemetery with fellowship to follow at the Vale Lutheran Church.

Lee was born December 1, 1920, in Huff, ND, to Chester and Pearl (Cessna) Dutton. He was one of eleven children. Lee worked on the family sheep ranch until he joined the Civilian Conservation Corp in the late 1930s. Following this service, he moved to Mt. Vernon, WA, in 1940. In 1942, he married Vivian McCowan in Lynden, WA. In 1950, he moved to Vale, SD, and was in the trucking business for 8 years. He met and married the love of his life, Margaret (Greenberg) Hendrickson in July 1955. In 1958, they bought the home place and raised cattle and sheep. Lee loved making pets of his farm animals. He had many cattle and sheep that would come running at the sound of his voice. After Lee retired in 1997, he and Marge remained avid gardeners. They ran back and forth from Vale to the farm place just to get that great tasting sweet corn and tomatoes. In addition to gardening, Lee loved to mow their huge yard and work on keeping water to all the vegetation.

Lee also was entertained by wayfaring animals that wondered in occasionally. Some of his and Marge's entertainers were a one-legged turkey, a white turkey, a squirrel (they named Freddy), an opossum, and numerous (as they were so affectionately referred to) neighborhood "jigelow" cats with "Morris" (aka "Thomas K'Jomas") being one of his favorites. Watching and identifying various birds at the bird feeders and keeping all the feeders full kept him busy as well. Lee also enjoyed watching several faith-based programs with Marge and sharing their love for the Lord together. Billy Graham Crusades, Harold Salem and Turning Point were among his favorites. Until his eyesight went bad, he also enjoyed sitting in the basement next to the fire, reading God's word. He was also known to go to the kitchen and read Birds & Blooms while sneaking a sweet treat when Marge wasn't looking. Lee enjoyed all the visits from friends and family and his sense of humor kept many-a-conversation light, even until one of his last days when the kids told him that they were going to leave him and Marge alone for awhile and he jokingly replied, "That's dangerous!"

He will be deeply missed by his wife, Margaret, Vale; three daughters, Linda (Gary) Greenleaf, Marysville, WA, Noreen (Clyde) Jones, Rapid City, SD, and Lisa Dutton (Randi Faeth), Sundance, WY; one stepson, Steven (Sharon) Hendrickson, Westminster, CO; seven grandchildren, Zane, Adam, Matthew, Dutton and Joel Jones, Rapid City, Jeff (Pauline) Pendleton, Ferndale, WA, and Tammy Pendleton, Marysville, WA; two great-grandchildren, Taylor Gilreath and Dustin Heiser, Marysville, WA; one brother, Chester Dutton, Mt. Vernon, WA; and two sisters, Mildred Thompson and Alice McKay, both of Lynden, WA.

He was preceded in death by his brothers, Ray, Everett, Gerald, Elmer and Allan; one sister, Helen; and one infant brother.

Memorials have been established to Parkinson's Disease Research and the Vale Community Club.