Lowell (Ed) Dutton, 87, Kasson

Lowell (Ed) Edward Dutton, 87, died at home surrounded by family Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016, after a lengthy illness. 
Ed was born April 5, 1929 on the family farm near Wanamingo, Minn., to Clair and Lena (Erma Kramer) Dutton, and started elementary school at age four in rural Goodhue County. His family moved to a farm south of West Concord in 1942 where he attended West Concord High School until age 15. He received his GED in 1966 from John Marshall Senior High School. In June 1955, he married Donna Mae Johnston at the First Presbyterian Church in Kasson. They lived in the Kasson area for nearly all their married life and raised their daughters and grandson there.
Ed had a variety of occupations, including operating heavy equipment with Tom Avery; driving semi-truck for Erling Leth; serving in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War with the 38th Air Rescue Squadron as a Crew Chief and Flight Mechanic on a C-47 transport plane; farming; working at IBM (retired in 1987 after 29 years of service, where, for many years, he had perfect attendance and received several process improvement awards); delivering parts for NAPA for 25 years (from 1989 until his health would no longer allow it in 2014).
He was a lifetime member of the American Legion Post 333 in Kasson, and he was active in the drill squad; a Brother in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Huram A’Bi Lodge, No 83; a 4-H Leader; a member of the Dodge County Sherriff’s Posse; a member of the Dodge County Saddle Club; an Ordained Ruling Elder of the First Presbyterian Church in Kasson; a dedicated blood donor.
Ed enjoyed riding and driving horses (trail rides, wagon trains and parades); fixing anything that broke; inventing new tools or adapting purchased ones to work better; doing any kind of outdoor manual labor, especially if it involved wielding a shovel or chainsaw; drinking coffee with his friends.
He is survived by his devoted wife, Donna; three daughters, Charyl Dutton Gibbs (David Gibbs), Betty Dutton, Susie Dutton (Greg Weber); grandson, Dylan Dutton; brother, Howard Dutton.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, Dec. 27 at the First Presbyterian Church of Kasson. A spring burial will be held at the Preston State Veterans’ Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to the La Crosse, Wis., Area Freedom Honor Flight, the First Presbyterian Church of Kasson, or Mayo Clinic Hospice, who provided Ed with compassionate, professional care for the past six months.