CHETOPA — Emmett Albert “Pete” Burton, 81, of Chetopa died at 7:45 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 15, 2010, at Landmark Hospital in Joplin following a brief illness.

He was born May 20, 1929, in Cherokee County to Melvin and Anna (Draeger) Burton. As a young boy, he grew up in Cherokee County, where he attended Cherokee County Grade School and Columbus High School.

In 1952, he moved to Chetopa, where he had lived since. He worked for Kraft Foods in Oswego for 22 years until its closing in 1969. He then worked for the city of Chetopa Street Department, where he served as superintendent for 16 years, retiring in 1991.

He was a member of First Baptist Church in Chetopa, where he served on the Building and Grounds Committee and was head greeter. He enjoyed spending time with his family, gardening, the outdoors and doing handiwork in his shop.

He married Lydia Marie Corn on Feb. 12, 1952, in Bentonville, Ark. They later divorced.

He married Karen Kay (Barcus) Darnell on March 16, 1979, in Miami, Okla. She survives of the home.

Other survivors include his children, Kerri Burton of Joplin, Karla (Burton) Littlejohn and her husband, Randy, of Chetopa, Marla (Burton) Hart and her husband, Roy Dean, of Chetopa, Jan (Darnell) Cooper of Bentonville, Ark., Rob Darnell and his wife, Debbie, of Chetopa, Rick Darnell and his wife, Patty, of Chetopa and Jon Darnell of the home, Chetopa; grandchildren, Mandy (Littlejohn) Lester and her husband, Troy, of Welch, Okla., Amy (Hart) Comer and her husband, Rick, of Riverton, Jay Littlejohn and his wife, Katie, of Chetopa, James Hart of Chicago, Kaci (Cooper) Jones and her husband, Grant, of Bella Vista, Ark., Mitch Cooper of Bentonville, Ark., Ryan Darnell, Brett Darnell and Kyle Darnell, all of Chetopa; great-grandchildren, Clayton Lester, Aubrie Lester, Olivia Comer, Graci Jones, Nora Jones and Logan Dale Darnell; sisters, Emma George of Pittsburg and Irene Porter of Little Rock, Ark.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two sons, Philip Alan Burton and Richard Ellis Burton; four brothers, Frank, Henry, Carl and Clyde Burton; and a sister, Mary Wilder.

The service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at First Baptist Church in Chetopa. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery. Friends may call at their convenience from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at the Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Chetopa.

Memorials are suggested to First Baptist Church in Chetopa and may be left at or mailed to the funeral home, P.O. Box 346, Chetopa, 67336.

Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoffman.com.