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Ralph E. Vinton passed away at the Blair Memorial Community Hospital on Thursday evening, April 24th. Mr. Vinton was a pioneer Blair auto dealer and was still active in the family business at the time of his death. The Vinton Motor Company has celebrated its 50th Anniversary.

Funeral services were Monday, April 28th, at 10:30 a.m. in the First Methodist Church. Burial was in the Blair Cemetery. Rev. Patterson officiated with Campbell Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Ralph Vinton was born at Pacific Junction, Iowa, on September 11, 1884. He died at the Memorial Community Hospital in Blair, Nebraska, April 24, 1980, at the age of 95.

On June 21, 1910 he was married to Zula Eckert at Glenwood, Iowa. It was here that their two sons, Gordon and Keith, were born. In Iowa Ralph was in the shoe business.

Ralph and his family moved to Blair, Nebraska, in June of 1929 where he was in the automobile business until the time of his death. He was always a civic-minded man, believing in things that were good for the community. He served on the School Board, the Board of Industrial Development, headed committees for the acquisition of land for the Blair Airport and the Memorial Community Hospital and played a very active role in the financing and building of the First United Methodist Church. He was a member of the S.A.R., Royal Arch Masons of Iowa, a Master Mason at Blair, Odd Fellows, Rotary and Lion’s Clubs and a member of the First United Methodist Church.

Zula Vinton died January 26, 1954, and on September 14, 1955 he was married to Mazie Davis. She preceded him in death.

He is survived by two sons Gordon and Keith, their wives, Jean and Mary, five grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. Two step-daughters, Darlene Norgaard and Norene Paulk also survive.

Pallbearers were: Chuck Blankenbeckler, Lyle Stern, Roger Stricklett, Bill Hunt, Jim Stokes and Rod Hansen.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair, Nebraska Public Library~~~

Find a Grave Memorial #100876932