Arthur Benjamin Norton

Arthur Benjamin Norton

 Arthur Benjamin Norton, 86, passed away on July 26, 2018, at his home following a long illness. 

 He was born July 18, 1932 in Central, Graham, Ariz., to Hyram Lewis “Boots” Norton and Pearl Echols, a family of ranchers and farmers, raising cotton and livestock. 

 When Art was 5 years old he was responsible to herd the cattle and keep them out of the cotton. He would get lonesome and often get down off his favorite horse, Old Bally, his first “babysitter,” and play with the school children, or make games of spearing the cattle with sunflower stalks. 

 In 1945 his family bought an 80 acre farm in Chandler, and built a new home. 

 Art was involved in FFA and worked for neighboring farmers, receiving payment of calves. He soon had enough money to buy a car, but his parents decided to move to Weiser, Idaho to buy a ranch in 1948, and he gave them his money to help out. 

 There he met his eternal sweetheart, Lynn Chandler, who was astonished that the new boy in school was wearing her name on the back of his FFA jacket. 

 They married, after graduating from high school, in the St. George Utah LDS Temple. At that time Art was working in Phoenix, Ariz., in the Reynolds Aluminum Plant. 

 They moved back to Idaho, and he worked for a time at a lime plant in Oregon. He went into the electrical business and eventually became a partner in Johnson Electric where he was instrumental in furthering that business into commercial development. He and Lynn later built up an electrical contracting company, and a storage business. 

 He was known in his professional career as a man of high personal ethical standards, integrity, and a strong work ethic. 

 He served in the LDS Church as a Bishop, on the Stake High Council, as a Stake Seminary Coordinator, and in scouting, earning his Silver Beaver award. He and Lynn served in the Boise LDS Temple, as Stake missionaries, and served full-time missions to Nauvoo, Illinois, Honduras and Beliz, The Canary Islands, and Salt Lake City.

 In 1952, their first child, Tony, was born, soon followed by twin daughters, Diane and Deborah. As they were approaching empty nest years, they decided that the greatest use of their time and resources would be to add to their family through adoption. Ken, age 12, and Daryl, age 9, came to their family in the summer of 1971.

 From Art’s personal history: “The important part of my life is my family and our preparation for eternal life. I have a wonderful family and the Lord has blessed me with wonderful service opportunities and callings. I truly love my Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ and my greatest desire is to become perfect as He has commanded. My life has varied from despair to exultation, from boastful pride to a realization of my own nothingness. God is so good to me. He chastens me that I may be humble, that He may reveal Himself to me. When I humble myself, staggered at the awesome responsibility of leadership or of giving a talk or of solving a great problem, the Lord inspires me and blesses me and I am successful far beyond my natural abilities. Then when I’m congratulated I swell up in pride… and the process begins again. O foolish man that I am. Will I ever willingly give the praise and honor and glory to God from whom all blessings flow? And yet God loves me so much that He will not leave my soul to kick against the pricks in hell, but will continue in Godly patience with this wayward son until my soul delights continually in praising, pleasing service, honoring and calling continuously upon His holy name.”

 Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 1 at the LDS Chapel, 121 N. Canyon St. in Nampa. A viewing will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 31, at Zeyer Funeral Chapel, 83 N. Midland Blvd., Nampa (208-467-7300) and at the church from 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. prior to the services. Interment at Kohlerlawn Cemetery. Condolences may be expressed at zeyerfuneralchapel.com.