George N. Newton – Obituary

George N. Newton, age 99, died on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 at Lakewood Care Center, Staples, MN. George was born on March 20, 1925 in Madison, WI, son of the late George and Hazel (Hilden) Newton. He received his High School Diploma from East High School in Madison, WI on June 4, 1943 and was enlisted into the Army on the same day in Milwaukee, WI. George left the following day to Fort Bliss, TX for Basic Training and later Airborne Training at Fort Benning, GA. George was a Paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division, Company B, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment and served three years in the Rhineland and Central European Campaigns during World War II. He held the rank of Staff Sergeant and Squad Leader. George also served as Honor Guard for Dwight D. Eisenhower after World War II. George was a surveyor for the State of Wisconsin after the war and later became a partner in a steel building franchise where he worked until September 11, 1950 when he started as a Plant Manager and later as a Potato Buyer for Red Dot Potato Company who merged with Lay’s Potato Company and Frito Company in 1961 to become Frito-Lay, Inc. George was assigned the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Upper Michigan and shipped potatoes by truck or rail throughout the country. He worked thirty-nine years at Frito-Lay, Inc. before retiring on March 1, 1989. George was a great outdoorsman and hunting enthusiast. George founded the Dakota Hunting Club in 1969 for pheasant hunting on 150 acres of land he bought west of Grand Forks, ND. He later added kennels for public dog boarding, stocked trout pond and sporting clay course. George is a past member of the Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce, Red River Valley Potato Association, Grand Forks Gun Club, Ducks Unlimited, Wildlife Federation, United Sportsman, Elks Club and Sioux Boosters Club. George was preceded in death by his wife Marion (Kerin); brother Roger Newton; sister-in-law Agnes (Crotty) Newton; sister-in-law Geraldine (Kerin) Haffey; brother-in-law Ralph Haffey plus numerous friends and relatives. George is survived by four daughters, Lynn (Tim) Rice of Motley, MN; Nancy Newton of St. Paul, MN; Laurie (Jerry) Lundby of Grand Forks, ND and Paula (Steven) Feldt of Savage, MN. George is also survived by ten grandchildren; Amy (Brian) Guyre of Champlin, MN; Chris Rice of Cambridge, MN; Matt (Cindy) Rice of Plymouth, MN Steph (Lydia Kinney) Rice of Roseville, MN; Kelsey Rice of Los Angeles, CA; Jake (Samantha VanReese) Lundby of Grand Forks, ND; Emily (Tyler) Holland of Fargo, ND; Connor Feldt of Chaska, MN; Anna Feldt of Charleston, SC; Garrett Feldt of Savage, MN along with nine great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. A Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 25, 2024 at Norman Funeral Home, 2950 S. Washington Street, Grand Forks, ND 58201. In celebration of George’s life and legacy, memorials will be donated by the family to Wounded Warrior Project. Internment with Military Funeral Honors at North Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Mandan, ND.