Keith Tilton

Keith Tilton September 5, 1923 Ð January 17, 2010 COLUMBUS, GA— Mr. Keith Tilton First Sergeant, US Army, (Retired) died at his home in Columbus, GA. Keith was a 12th-generation American: In 1630, his English ancestors made a home on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts Bay Colony. Keith was born in Saylorville, Polk County, Iowa, the first child of Ralph Tilton and Ruby Mason Tilton. On December 8, 1941, he married Eleanor Elaine Gibson a union that would last 67 years and produce 7 children. Keith already had a daughter and a son when the U.S. Army inducted him in August of 1944. His Army career spanned 31 years. Keith served our nation with distinction during WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Keith's many interesting posts included Saipan; Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland; 8th Ordinance Battalion in Griesheim and Hanau, Germany; Lawson Army Air Field at Ft. Benning, GA.; U.S. Army Port Inchon, Korea; Lawson Army Aviation Command; the U.S. Military Assistance Command / Joint U.S. Military Advisory Group in Bangkok, Thailand; Headquarters Fifth Corps in Frankfurt, Germany; the Military Assistance Command in Saigon, Vietnam; and the Armed Forces Entrance and Examining Station at Ft. Jackson S.C.. His last assignment was as a First Sergeant serving with the Inspector General at Ft. Benning, GA, where he retired on July 31, 1975. Wherever assigned, Keith was recognized for his integrity, initiative, and efficiency, often completing difficult assignments for positions well above his rank. After retiring from the Army, Keith served with Eleanor as a Community Aide for the Muscogee County School District; Keith worked from Columbus High School. Keith also enjoyed singing bass in the church choir and harmonizing with the Fountain City Chorus, a Columbus chapter of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America. He served as a docent at the Columbus Museum. His lifelong fascination with machinery fueled Keith's participation in the Antique Automobile Club of America - Boll Weevil Region and the River Cities Model A Ford Club. Keith was also an accomplished photographer, recording many subjects of his diverse travels, interests and activities. Baptized together with Eleanor and five of their children in September of 1965 at St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church in Columbus, Keith's service to his faith was evident in his work to establish a Lutheran Church in Bangkok, Thailand. He drafted the constitution and bylaws for the Bangkok Church, then repeated that task a few years later for the English-language Lutheran Congregation in Frankfurt, Ger-many. In every congregation, Keith and Eleanor served on the church councils and sang in the choirs. In memory of their Christian parents, Keith and Eleanor founded the St. Matthew bell choir. Every place they lived, the Tilton family learned first-hand about languages, cultures, geography, history, art, music, and cuisine. Keith is survived by his brother, Ned Tilton; his sisters Rita Tilton Brown and LaVerta Tilton Foust; and his children: Janne Slocumb (Athens, GA), Theresa Tilton (Tacoma, WA), Elaine Twaddell (Canton, GA), Robert Tilton (Kennesaw, GA), Lauree Tilton-Weaver (…rebro, Sweden), and Todd Tilton (Columbus, GA); 11 grandchildren, including his late son James Tilton's sons; and 5 great-grandchildren. His memorial service will be held the 20th of February at 4:00 p.m. at St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church, 4026 Macon Road. Donations in his memory to St. Matthew's are requested in lieu of flowers.