Graveside services for Verna (Dayton) Burton, age 79, of Spring Valley, OH, originally from Lemmon, SD, will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. at the Greenhill Cemetery in Lemmon.

Verna F. Burton, age 79, of Spring Valley, Ohio, passed away peacefully at her home on September 10, 2024.  Born on August 15, 1945, in Lemmon, SD, Verna Faye was the second of fraternal twin girls and the youngest of five children born to Vivian (Kempton) Dayton and Adon W. Dayton.

Verna was raised on the Dayton family homestead in Spring Butte Township, ND, where she and her twin sister, Myrna, shared a close bond that carried them through childhood.  They attended Spring Butte Country School until the 8th grade before graduating from Lemmon High School in 1963.

In the fall of 1963, Verna and Myrna were able to pursue their dreams of becoming educators by attending Black Hills State University in Spearfish, SD.  Though both set out on the path to teaching, Verna's life took a different turn in 1965 when she decided to leave college to marry Jerry Burton in Fayetteville, AK.  They welcomed their son Bradly in 1971 and made their home on a farm in Spring Valley, OH.  Verna graduated from Wilmington Ohio College in the late 1980s, majoring in photography.

Verna took great joy in returning to the family farm in North Dakota with her son Brad every summer, where she spent cherished moments with her mother, siblings, and nieces and nephews.  In her later years, Verna worked part-time as a tax accountant and at Walmart before retiring in 2015.  Retirement allowed her to spend more time with her granddaughter Logan and great-granddaughter Savannah.  She found beauty in life's simple joys and was unwavering in her commitment to her family, touching the hearts of everyone she knew.

Grateful to have shared her life are her son Brad (Deanna) Burton of Spring Valley, OH; her granddaughter, Logan Burton and great-granddaughter Savannah, also of Spring Valley, OH; her twin sister, Myrna (Cal) Nikont, Lemmon, SD; her brother, Lowell (Dorothy) Dayton, Spring Butte Township, Adams County, ND; sisters-in-law, Julie Dayton, Lander, WY; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

She was preceded in death by her father, Adon Dayton; mother, Vivian Dayton; brother, Jerry Dayton; sister, Jean LaDue; niece, Ronna LaDue; and brothers-in-law, By Wilcox and Dean LaDue.