Joshua J. Burton, 24, Lewiston

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Joshua John Burton, 24, passed away Friday, July 11, 2008, when the truck he was driving failed to negotiate a corner on Flat Iron Road near Waha. Josh spent his final day doing what he loved to do most, being with friends, fishing and making memories.

Josh was born Sept. 18, 1983, in Lewiston to Bruce and Connie Burton of Lewiston. At an early age it was quite apparent that Josh's life would be centered around his power - his powerful body, his powerful heart and his powerful smile.

Josh attended Orchards Elementary School, Sacajawea Junior High School and was a 2002 graduate of Lewiston High School. During high school he played on both the football and baseball teams, winning the Bengal Award his senior year in football. He played on one of the most talented and successful Legion baseball teams in Lewiston history, as a part of the Twins, and their run to the American Legion World Series, Josh earned the national Dr. Irvin (Click) Cowger award for the most RBI throughout the regional tournament in Wyoming and the World Series in Yakima.

After high school, Josh attended Treasure Valley Community College at Ontario, Ore., where he played baseball for two years. Following his time there, he attended Lewis-Clark State College at Lewiston and went to work full time for Pepsi in Lewiston.

Although Josh was very successful with sports throughout his life, his true passions were centered around the outdoors, sometimes leaving right from a practice or a game to drive to hunting camp or get an hour of fishing in before dark. Josh loved to make trips to Waha to go "yote" hunting with his friends and also making trips to Orofino Creek to fly fish with his dad and brother. Some of his biggest accomplishments in his eyes were coming home with his first deer, his first elk and his first bear.

He was an avid movie buff, often calling friends and family with movie trivia in the middle of a work day. One of his favorite movies, ironically enough was, "A River Runs Through It," a movie that tells a tale of two brothers, fishing and the untimely death of the younger brother.

Eventually, all things merge into one and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of those rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters.

Joshua is survived by his parents, Bruce and Connie; his brother, Brian and his wife Katie; and his new best friend, his nephew Grayson, who he referred to as his "Tank." He is also survived by his grandmother Betty Burton; his cousin "brother," Jim Burton; grandparents Harry and Janet Schaack; and many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and many friends that all know their place in Josh's heart.

He was preceded in death by his grandfather Robert Burton.

Always celebrate the full life of our "Burto," our Joshua.