Royce Hutton

Royce Duane Hutton, 90, of Toledo, passed away at his home on July 27, while being under the care of Iowa River Hospice. By request of the deceased, there will be no visitation but a graveside service will take place on Tuesday, August 2 at 11:00 a.m. at the Jackson Township Cemetery in Montezuma. Per the wishes of Royce, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Iowa River Hospice in Marshalltown. Mitchell Family Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. www.mitchellfh.com Ph 641-844-1234 Born July 17, 1932 at Barnes City, he was the older of two sons of Roscoe and Faun (Watts) Hutton. He received most of his education in the Montezuma School system. After graduating in the Montezuma High School class of 1950, he attended AIB in Des Moines until he secured a job at Mahaska State Bank in Oskaloosa. He also was employed as a bookkeeper at Lee’s Grocery and Department Store. Following that, he worked for eight years as a billing clerk and as a track supervisor’s clerk for the M & St. L Railway. When the Great Western Railroad bought the M & St. L, he lost his job. He then went to work for ARMCO Drainage for one year in Topeka, Kansas. He decided he was going nowhere in this company without a college education, so he quit and enrolled at William Penn College in Oskaloosa, where he majored in Mathematics and Physics. He received his BA degree there in May of 1960. During summer school of 1959, he met the love of his life, Leona Van Arkel, and they were married on May 28, 1960. He then enrolled in graduate school at Northeast Missouri State, now Truman University. There he received his MA degree in secondary administration with an emphasis on Mathematics in August of 1963. For fourteen years, he was employed as a secondary school math teacher, a college professor, and a secondary school principal. During this time, a very good friend and neighbor when he was growing up named Oval Black and wife Mildred loaned the couple money to buy their first 90 acre farm near Dunbar, Iowa. Besides raising a crop, they also farrowed and sold feeder pigs. At one time, they also raised Tennessee Walking Horses. Later in life, he gave up teaching and bought a 100 acre farm in Tama County, where he built a 300 sow farrow to finish swine complex, which he and his wife operated for 16 years. In 1984, he was chosen Iowa Master Pork Producer. Also in the 1980’s he spent three years on the PCA and Farm Credit Board. Two of those years, he served as chairman of the board. Royce was an avid sports fan and always followed the Chicago Cubs baseball team and most of the Hawkeye teams. He also enjoyed the couple’s various canine companions, especially the Doberman Pinschers, the Australian Blue Heeler, and three different Miniature Dachshunds. Before and after retirement in 1992, the couple belonged to a Winnebago motorhome club and traveled extensively in their motorhome to various points of interest in Iowa and Minnesota, as well as the yearly Winnebago Rally in Forest City, the Clay County Fair in Spencer and various polka fests. He also enjoyed the Mountain Men and the Cowboy channel on t.v. Royce is survived by Leona, his beloved wife of 62 years. He was preceded in death by his parents and his younger brother, Keith, who was killed in Vietnam. - Lovingly written by the family