Earl Urton

Edward “Earl” Urton, a man defined by his tireless work ethic and a lifetime spent building and maintaining the world around him, passed away on Thursday, December 25, 2025, at Fountainview Nursing and Rehab Center in Rose Hill. He was 91 years old.

Earl was born on February 14, 1934, at the family farm in Quincy, the son of John Lyle and Hazel Alice (Louck) Urton. He was raised in the heart of Quincy, attending local schools. He would later attend night classes in Eureka to earn his GED. Earl entered the workforce with the railroad, beginning a seven-decade long journey of dedicated labor.

On January 17, 1956, Earl was united in marriage to Sharron Ilene Soule in Yates Center. Together, they made their home in Eureka and built a life rooted in family and community. To this union, two children were born.

Earl was a man who was never afraid of hard work, often taking on roles that required both physical strength and technical precision. Whether he was handling explosives as a dynamiter for the Greenwood County Quarry or mastering the precision required during his time at Cessna, Earl approached every job with a steady hand. It was during this chapter of his life that he found his true calling behind the controls of heavy equipment. For years, he was a fixture in regional construction, moving the earth and building infrastructure for Maloney Construction, Russell and Sons, Ziegler Corp, and Hogoboom Trucking.

Even after his formal retirement in the early 2000s, Earl’s hands were rarely still. He continued to serve by maintaining the roads for Chelsea Township in Butler County. His creativity was etched in stone—literally—as he spent his later years crafting beautiful, chiseled stone park benches and pursuing intricate carpentry projects. When he wasn't working, he and Sharron shared a passion for the open road, taking many memorable trips together. Sharron preceded him in death on January 16, 2022.

Earl is survived by his children: Bill Urton, and wife, Micki of Rose Hill, Kansas; Teresa and husband, Russ DeCoursey of Charlotte, Tennessee; five grandchildren: Melissa and husband, David Scribner; Renee and husband, Nathan Powers; Bridgette and husband, Jason Cauthen; Brian Urton and wife, Mary; and Aaron Hynick and wife, Becca; and thirteen great-grandchildren who brought him great joy in his later years.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; two grandchildren, Megan Lee DeCoursey and Bryce Michael Urton; and his three siblings, Howard Eugene “Buster” Urton, Charles A. Urton, and Virgil Lyle Urton.

Memorial services will be held at 10:00 A.M., Friday, January 2, 2026, at Koup Family Funeral Home, Eureka, with Mr. David Scribner officiating. Cremation has taken place. A private family scattering will take place at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the American Diabetes Association. Contributions may be sent in care of Koup Family Funeral Home, PO Box 595, Eureka, KS 67045, which is overseeing arrangements. Condolences may be left for the family online at koupfunerals.com.