Kenneth Gene Burton

Kenneth Gene Burton

November 11, 1937 - May 19, 2022

Kenneth Gene Burton of Scio lost his long and courageous battle with multiple illnesses on May 19, 2022 at the Evergreen Hospice House in Albany, Oregon. Ken was born Nov. 11, 1937 at home in the Bilyeu Den area east of Scio. He was the third son of Laurence E. and Mary Ann (Brunton) Burton.

Ken attended Scio Schools where he was a gifted athlete, earning letters in all four sports offered. Following graduation, he went to work in the woods for Lulay Timber Co. After serving in the U.S. Army, he returned to logging. Although he spent the majority of his working years as a millworker, he always described himself as a logger. After SWF Plywood in Albany closed its doors, Ken was employed by Research Mannikins in Lebanon until retirement.

Hunting and fishing topped the list of Ken's pastimes, closely followed by getting together with friends and family to trade tales of their exploits. He was endowed with uncanny spatial perception and was never lost even in unfamiliar terrain. This quality also enabled him to draw accurate maps of areas he had traveled through. His skills as an outdoorsman served him well during his time in the Army when he led his squad to victory in the base survival exercise.

He was also a talented artist, producing very detailed paintings and pencil drawings of mountain landscapes, animals, and people. He was a perfectionist with his artwork.

Ken was preceded in death by his parents, brothers James and Lloyd, and sister, Rosemary Burton Riddle. His is survived by his son, Jeffrey, of Sarasota, Florida and former wife Kay Thayer Burton of Scio. Other surviving family members are sister-in-law Helen Burton of Albany; nephews Gary Burton of Beaverton and Kevin Riddle of Salem; nieces Linda Alexander (Chris) of Corvallis and Denise Pracht (Michael) of Albany, as well as many cousins of both the Burton and Brunton families.