Eleanor Yates Barton born 27 April 1939 in Ely, Nevada to Huish Fairbanks Yates and Alta Davis Stoker. She left this life on July 6th, 2023 the day before her 61st wedding anniversary to be with her sweetheart, David, in heaven.
She grew up in many different places because her father served in the US army. Her favorite memory was spending 3 years living near the Panama Canal, starting at age 13. She loved swimming in the pool on base and in the ocean. She graduated from Granite High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. During her early 20’s, she was so adept at short hand, she landed a prestigious secretarial job at the White House in Washington D.C.
Her mother was an accomplished pianist and Eleanor grew up loving classical music and playing the piano. Her love of music continued during her life and she learned to play the guitar and become a proficient organist.
She met David Barton, a dashing young man at Brigham Young University. When he was president of the choir, he asked her, out of all the other girls, to help him coordinate the choir engagements. They had fun taking a German class together, riding his motorcycle and going to dances.
She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English in May of 1962. She married David Barton on 7th July 1962 in the Manti, Utah Temple.
Together they lived in Provo, Utah; California and Ogden, Utah while David finished his education. He started his dream job in Houston, Texas as an engineer for NASA in the space program. They thoroughly enjoyed living there for nearly a decade. The family enjoyed live theatre, cultural events, swimming in pools and the ocean and science museums.
With their 5 children, the Barton family returned to live in Taylorsville, Utah. Soon after the 6th child was born, Dave was diagnosed with terminal cancer and was expected to live a few months. After much faith and prayers, his cancer went into remission but his health did not allow him to fully financially support the family. Eleanor began working for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at Church Headquarters in Salt Lake City with Materials Management and then Fleet Administration. Hand in hand they faced their challenges with hard work and faith.
Supported by family and friends and boosted by Eleanor’s great faith, Dave’s grave condition of living only a few months changed to living over 25 years and they had their 7th child during one of the times of cancer remission. She served in many callings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints including Relief Society president, Young Women’s president, Sunday school and Primary teacher, visiting teacher, ward organist and Jordan River, Utah Temple organist. She also served her sisters and their families in many ways. She was a lifelong member of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers with a rich and full pioneer history. She retired from her career to care for David and then he passed away in 2002. She served a mission to the Humanitarian Center teaching English to refugees.
She is loved and remembered by her seven children: Christine (Brad) Snow; John Yates (Jennifer) Barton; Stephen David (Lorie) Barton; Cheryl (Greg) Weight; Jeanne Marie Barton (Cyndee Bennett); Deborah (James or JR) Rowley; and Elizabeth Anne Barton. She has 19 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. She is survived by her sisters: Jacqueline Hall, Margaret Yorgason and Gwen Boswell; and brother in law Jim (Marie) Barton. She is preceded in death by her parents, Huish and Alta Yates; her brother Stanford Yates and her husband, David Barton.
