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Monday, April 11, 2022

In Memoriam - Robert Bolton

Robert William Bolton

Born: December 2, 1935, Belmont, Wabash Co., IL
Died: April 10, 2022, Fairfield, Wayne Co., IL

Married: March 5, 1954, Barbara Lathrop, First Methodist Church, Wayne City, IL

Children
Bea md. Mikel Lingafelter
  • Rob Lingafelter md. 1) Jamie Wells & 2) Libby
    • Mason Lingafelter
    • Hayden Lingafelter
  • Eric Lingafelter
  • Crystal Lingafelter md. Mark Beckel
    • Ryle Beckel
    • Reagan Beckel
    • Reese Beckel
  • Mikel Lingafelter md. Amelia 
    • Sydney Lingafelter
    • Alyssa Lingafelter
    • Kanyen Lingafelter
Staci md. Jeremy Miller
  • Justin Miller
    • Trent Miller
  • Jessica Miller
  • Cheree Miller
  • Scotty Miller
Ahnentafel:
1. Robert Bolton
2. Henry Bolton
3. Iva Cook



Robert (Bob) William Bolton, age 86, passed away at 10:29 p.m. Sunday, April 10, 2022 at his home in Fairfield. He had suffered from Myelodysplastic Syndrome for several years.

Bob was born in Belmont, IL on December 2, 1935, to Henry Bolton and Iva (Cook) Bolton. On March 5, 1954, in Wayne City, IL, he married Barbara (Lathrop) Bolton. 

Bob graduated from Mt. Carmel High School and later served in the active U.S. Army from 1958 to 1960 and one year in the inactive Reserves. His basic training was at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. He attended Quartermaster School at Ft. Lee, Virginia, with assignment to the Adjutant General School, Ft. Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis as a Quartermaster Supply Clerk. He and his family continued to live and work in Indianapolis for ten years until 1968, at which time they moved to Fairfield.

Bob was a member of the Eastlawn Wesleyan Methodist Church in Indianapolis, and later of Fairfield Ellen Moore United Methodist Church. He was a member of the church choir and community choir. He also served as church youth sponsor and accompanied a group of youth on a week-long work mission to Red Bird Mission in Beverly, Kentucky.

In 1976 when Frontier Community College opened its new nursing school, Bob was one of the first to enroll and served as president of his class. He graduated as a Licensed Practical Nurse in 1977 and as a Registered Nurse in 1978 at the age of forty-three.  Bob completed a 160-hour Critical Car Nursing Course at Springfield Memorial Hospital in 1979, and thereafter worked in cardiac care in intensive care units. In 1992 Bob was honored as Nurse of the Year at Clay County Hospital. Bob also held a Registered Nurse license in the state of Indiana and practiced in Indiana. When he retired in 1997, Bob worked as a private health care nurse for several years.

Bob was always an avid reader; however, he enjoyed listening to his wife read to him. They completed reading ten books and almost the entire Bible in the last year and a half.

Bob and Barbara were "parents" to children and youth from various countries. They hosted a Southern Illinois University exchange student from Iran, Mehdi Sheikhian, in 1969.  They stayed in contact through his doctoral education in Bloomington, Indiana and Chicago, and he became a 'teacher of teachers' in the University of Tehran. Years later in 1996, Mehdi's daughter, Negar, who now practices dentistry in Germany, visited in their home for 6 weeks.  In 1979 the Boltons hosted a refugee family of a mother and her five children from Viet Nam, and they have since remained close friends. In 1983 Okye Ko from Korea lived with them for 10 months. They were foster parents to several girls and boys who remain in contact as their 'own children."

Bob, Barbara and Bea

Bob is survived by his wife of 68 years, Barbara Bolton of Fairfield; his daughters, Bea (Mike) Lingafelter; and Staci (Jeremy) Miller both of Fairfield.  Eight grandchildren: Rob (Libby) Lingafelter, Eric and Mikel Lingafelter, all of Fairfield, Crystal (Mark) Beckel of Cisne, Jessica Miller of Indiana, Justin Miller of Minot, ND, Cherree Miller and Scotty Miller of Fairfield. He is also survived by five great-granddaughters: Rylee, Reagan and Reese Beckel of Cisne, Alyssa and Sydney Lingafelter of Fairfield; and five great-grandsons: Trent Martin, Hayden and Mason Lingafelter, and Kanyen Lingafelter of Fairfield, and Wyatt Miller Jones of Chester; many nieces, nephews and cousins, and his best life-long friend, Delbert Norman of Grayville.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings, Beatrice Bolton, Nina Lou Rainbolt, Leslie Albert Lasinski, Lois Beckerman and Donald Bolton.

Funeral services for Bob Bolton will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, April 15th at the Johnson & Vaughn Funeral Home in Fairfield with burial in Maple Hill Cemetery. Full military rites will be provided by the Anthony Wayne Post #176 American Legion and the Wayne County Post #4535 VFW. Visitation will be from 11 am until time of service at the funeral home. Officiants for the service will be Reverend Russell Anderson and Pastor Steven Miller. Memorial gifts may be given to the Fairfield Ellen Moore United Church and will be accepted at Johnson & Vaughn Funeral Home. 

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