Donfred Bunten "Don" Clayton
Obituaries
Daily Sentinal page 5C - March 13, 2022
Donfred
Bunten Clayton
April 14, 1953 - March 7, 2022
Donfred “Don” Clayton,
86, of Cedaredge, passed
away Monday, March 7,
2022, at the Paonia Care
Center.
Mass of Christian burial
will take place Tuesday,
March 15, at 10:00 a.m., at St. Philip’s Catholic
Church in Cedaredge. Rosary will be recited at 9:30
that morning. Interment will take place following the
services at the Cedaredge Cemetery at 11:00 a.m.
Don was born in Canon City, CO, April 14, 1935, to
Fred R. and N. Marie (Bunten) Clayton. He spent his
childhood in the Canon City, Guffey, and Leadville
areas and graduated from Leadville High School with
the class of 1953. He attended college at Antelope
Valley in Lancaster, CA.
On April 22, 1957, he married Shirley R. Smith in
Leadville. To this union three daughters were born.
He served in the U.S. Navy, entering in 1955 and
being discharged in 1959. After his naval training in
electronics, he worked for military contractors Edmund
Scientific and Hughes Aircraft.
In 1971, Don and Shirley purchased Thunder Mountain
Hardware in Cedaredge and successfully operated it
until 1978. He then traveled as a sales representative for
Unilever until retiring at 75. After retiring, he started
Claymore Company and spent the next several years
creating handcrafted wood items in his shop.
Don was a member of St. Philip’s Catholic Church
in Cedaredge, and played the trumpet in the Montrose
Community Band. He enjoyed music of all types,
vintage cars, Colorado history, prospecting, traveling,
and his family most of all.
In addition to “his bride,” Don is survived by
daughters, Linda French (Rana Ayubi), of Ogden,
UT, and Diana Clayton, of Austin. He also has a halfbrother, Howard Clayton, of Delta, UT; half-sister,
Lauretta Biddix of KS; son-in-law, Larry Reed (Eva), of
Colorado Springs, and Roger “Skip” French and Milton
Hood of Cedaredge. Don has six grandchildren, Scott
Reed, of Henderson, NV; Amanda (Gary) Littell, of
Carbondale; Aaron (Tessa) Hood, of Mills River, NC;
Jessica (Matthew) Findley, of Delta; Lauren (Jim) Abril,
of Oklahoma City, and Sean (Emily) French, of Myrtle
Beach, SC, as well as 14 great-grandchildren and many
nieces, nephews, and good friends.
Don was preceded in death by his parents; daughter,
Regina “Reggie” Reed; half-sisters, Lois Oostema,
Dorothy Parrish, and Dixie Pizel, and half-brother,
Merle Biddix.
Memorial contributions can be made to HopeWest,
P.O. Box 24, Delta, CO 81416 or to a charity of one’s
choice.
Arrangements are
