Frederick Joseph Norton Obituary

Frederick Joseph Norton was the first child born to William Henry Norton and Elsie Marie Duehring Norton on February 26, 1940, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Three years later his sister, Charlotte, arrived, and four years after that, his brother, Richard, joined the family.

At the young age of seventeen, Fred decided to enlist in the service. Being underage, he convinced his father to sign for him to join the United States Air Force. He spent five years on active duty, including assignments in Iceland and ten months in Viet Nam, and two years in the reserves. Before leaving active duty, his parents and brother had moved to Folsom, California, where his dad had taken a job at Aerojet General in Rancho Cordova, California. Fred applied at Aerojet and was hired as a draftsman.

He stopped by the insurance company to pay his premium and noticed a new secretary working there. Interest was sparked, and they began dating soon after. Two years later, Fred and Carolann were married at his mother's home and sealed in the Oakland, California, Temple. When Aerojet closed down, Fred acquired a job at Murphy Scale Company in Sacramento, California. Not long after, the company laid off newer recruits. During this time, Fred and Carolann's first child, William Frederick Norton, known as Derick, arrived. Fred continued job hunting and found Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, was hiring people with drafting experience. The family packed up their two-month-old son and moved to Livermore. While in Livermore, two daughters were added to the family: Jolynn and Melanie. Fred made a comment regarding moving to the country. Carolann quickly started searching and found a house on two-and-a-half acres forty-five minutes from Livermore in the small town of 4,900 people in Patterson. Twenty-three years there was a wonderful experience. Two more girls were added to the family: Amy and Bethany. The Crows Landing Branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints grew into a ward in the 1980s, with Fred serving as bishop from 1996 to April 2001.

In August 2001, Carolann and Bethany took a trip to Idaho to check out Rick's College and attend a family reunion. Family encouraged them to move to the Treasure Valley. A phone call to Fred with Bethany saying she loved Idaho and wanted to move for her last two years of high school. Fred retired from LLNL the first of September, and the three were moving to Nampa, Idaho, the week of 9/11.

Over the years Fred's family has grown. With five children, they have been blessed with 20 grandchildren. From Derick and Francine Norton's five children, seven great-grandchildren with one on the way; Jolynn and Wade Leishman, three children; Melanie and Dan Garvin, four children; Amy and Mike Stanard, four children; and Bethany and Joe Caufield, four children. Others surviving are his sister, Charlotte Hare; brother and wife, Richard and Renee Norton; and a number of nieces and nephews. His parents, William and Elsie, and brother-in-law, Carl Hare, preceded him in death.