Harold E. Hinton Sr.

HAROLD E. HINTON SR. Funeral services for lifelong Cortez resident Harold E. Hinton Sr. will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, December 7 at the Ertel Memorial Chapel. Interment will follow at Cortez Cemetery. Reverend Bud Rousset will officiate. Harold was born on November 25, 1930 in Cortez the son of Rudy David and Bessie Edith (Stiles) Hinton. He passed away on Thursday, November 29, 2007 after a long illness at his residence. Harold was 77 years old. Harold served in the U.S. Navy from 1948 to 1950. After his discharge he returned to Cortez where he met and married Freeda Mooney, his wife of 57 years. Harold worked in the Uranium industry for a decade. He was a foreman for Western Nuclear where he processed the first Uranium in the state of Wyoming in 1957. From 1963 until his retirement in 1998, Harold owned his own businesses in Ignacio, Leadville, and Cortez. Harold was dedicated to his family. He made it possible for his children to graduate from college and he considered this the greatest accomplishment of his life. Harold embraced the value of honesty, hard work, and fairness to others. Surviving Harold are his wife, Freeda Hinton of Cortez; his children, Eddie Hinton of Cortez, Deborah Conter and husband, Gary of Kingman, Ariz., and Sherry Watkins and husband, Mark of Farmington, N.M.; his grandchildren, Erin McGuire and husband, Don, Natalie Weeks and husband, James, all of Kingman, Ariz., Morgan Hinton, Micah Hinton and wife, Alesia all of Cortez, Senior Airman Nicholas Watkins, Jared Watkins, Patrick Watkins, and Stuart Watkins all of Farmington; and nine great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sisters, Arveda Bruce and Elizabeth Risenhoover; his brothers, Jerry Hinton and wife, Neda, Richard Hinton and wife, Marna; and his sister-in-law, LaVerne Hinton. Harold was preceded in death by his parents, Rudy and Bessie Hinton; and his brother, Dale Hinton.