Dates

• Existence: 1943 - 2011

Biographical History

Alton Craig Curtis (1943-2011) was a soldier and missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Alton Craig Curtis was born on August 26, 1943, in Phoenix, Arizona to Samuel Frederick Curtis and Emmeline Hastings Curtis. He grew up on the family ranch close to his Uncle Mel Curtis’s place, where he often played with siblings and cousins.

He grew up to be very creative and energetic. He was a cheerleader in high school, worked on the yearbook staff as a copy editor, took tap dance classes, and was involved in student government. In college, he majored in dramatic arts because of his natural talents as an actor. Throughout his life, he continued to sing, perform, invent new things, or write stories in his spare time. He is often remembered for his witty sense of humor, imagination, and willingness to follow his instincts.

When he turned nineteen, Alton Craig served a mission for the Church fo Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Texas from September 26, 1962, until September 25, 1964. He enjoyed his mission and kept a firm testimony in the Church for the rest of his life. After briefly returning to college at Brigham Young University, he was drafted into the U.S. Army on March 22, 1966, and fought in the Vietnam War with the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry. He was awarded the following medals and awards for his service: the Vietnam service medal with one Bronze Service Star, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Army Commendation with "V" Device, Bronze Star Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Army Commendation Medal, and Air Medal. Even though his experiences in combat would continue to plague him both physically and emotionally, he is remembered for his courage, intelligence, honor, and self-sacrifice in fighting for his country.

After he was discharged from the Army on March 21, 1968, he met JoAnna K. Williams and married her on August 10, 1968 in the Mesa Arizona Temple. They had eight children together: RaeChelle, Jocelyn, Kristin, Jaynann, Jamiel, Sunni, Julianna, and Steven Craig. He died on January 25, 2011, in Tempe, Arizona, after a long struggle with lung and adrenal cancer due to his exposure to agent orange in Vietnam. On January 29, his ashes were scattered at the base of the Superstition Mountains by plane, which he considered to be the unofficial family mountain.

Citation:

Alton Craig Curtis papers, 1943-2011 (Alton Craig Curtis; b. Aug. 26, 1943 in Phoenix, Ariz.; d. Jan. 25, 2011, in Tempe, Ariz.)

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