Ron Booton

A funeral service for Ron "Boots" Booton, age 78, of Arnolds Park, will be held Thursday, February 18, 2016 at 2:00pm at Good News Community Church in Okoboji. Visitation will be on Wednesday, February 17th from 5:00-7:00pm at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Milford. Burial will be at Lakeview Gardens at a later date. Memorials will be given to Okoboji Wrestling Program, Okoboji Cycling Classic Campus Ride, Dickinson County Nature Center and Spencer Hospital Hospice. Ronald Dean Booton, the son of Leslie Albertus Booton, Sr. and Leona Mae Webber, was born June 11, 1937 in Spirit Lake, Iowa. After Ron graduated from Spirit Lake High School in 1955, he enlisted in the United States Army and was honorably discharged in 1958. On November 28, 1959, Ron was united in marriage to Lorene (Enie) Faye Harmelink. They made their home in Milford until moving to Arnolds Park, Iowa in 1998. Ron worked as a printer at the Spirit Lake Beacon and Milford Mail, then went to the Lakes News Shopper as an advertising salesman. In his spare time Boots enjoyed working as a volunteer dishwasher at O'Farrell Sisters Restaurant. After retiring in 1999, Ron was employed by the Dickinson County Conservation. He was a member of the Milford City Council, Milford Fire Department, American Legion, and Arnolds Park Zoning Commission. Ron was a passionate golf ball hunter collecting over 30,000 golf balls, hand washing each one. He was a lifetime supporter of Milford/Okoboji athletics. Ron and Enie were honored as Grand Marshals in the 2006 Pioneer Days Parade. Ron was an avid bicyclist, riding in three RAGBRAI'S. Boots also enjoyed going to many different casinos with his wife, Enie. Papa Ron's greatest joy was watching his grandchildren's activities and spending time with his family. Ron passed away February 13, 2016 at Spencer Municipal Hospital at seventy-eight years of age. He is survived by his wife, Lorene (Enie) Booton of Arnolds Park; son, Kirby (Angie) Booton of Mt. Pleasant; daughter, Kristi (Jim) O'Neill of Delano, Minnesota; six grandchildren, Natalie and Haley Booton, Riley Larson, Keegan, Terron and Kallon O'Neill; three great-grandchildren, Cayden, Nolen and Graysen; brother, Leslie Junior Booton of Milford; sister, Barb Dickinson of Spirit Lake and numerous nieces and nephews. Ron was preceded in death by his parents; sister, JoAnne Booton Hansen and brother-in-law, Wayne Hansen. Boots had a gift of gab and never said a bad word about anyone. With Boots there were no strangers, just friends he hadn't yet met.