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Mr. Milton (Shorty) R. Adams, beloved husband, father, brother, grandfather, great-grandfather, and uncle passed away peacefully on August 22, 2020 at his home in Ophir, Utah due to heart and lung complications. Born in Woodland, California, on January 23, 1944, Milton was the oldest of four children born to Ralston, “Rollie,” and Rachel (Horner) Adams. He had an interesting beginning in life, as Milton was thirteen months old before his Dad ever saw him. When Rollie returned home from the war in Europe, Milton was already walking and looked rather short to his Dad, who nicknamed him “Shorty.” That name stuck and that is what he’s been called ever since. Ironically, a similar military pattern was reproduced two decades later, when Shorty ended up serving with the Army National Guard in Vietnam Central Highlands, 68-69 Tet Offensive, during the first year of his own son (Dean’s) life As a baby and young child, Shorty and his parents traveled extensively throughout the United States, supporting an evangelical ministry. His parents home-schooled him through the first grade. When he eventually attended public school, he was considered two grades ahead of his young peers. In 1950, the Adams family moved to Yacolt, Washington, where his parents established the Christian-based Boys Valley Ranch for teenage boys in foster care. During this time Shorty enjoyed learning the myriad duties associated with life on the cattle ranch along with his family and numerous foster kids. Shorty was 13 when the family sold the Yacolt ranch and purchased a 1,640-acre sheep ranch in Cazadero, California. Since the high school was almost a 2-hour drive from the ranch, Shorty worked logging and ranching after the 8th grade of school with his Dad during the day and attended school at night via a correspondence program. However, he attended and completed his senior year at Analy Union High School in Sebastopol, California. While on the ranch, he served as President of his District’s Young People’s Woolgrowers Association. Upon graduation from high school he attended the City College of San Francisco, where he studied civil engineering, In 1965, the family sold the Cazadero ranch and purchased three cattle ranches at Tendoy, Idaho. Shorty worked with his Dad on the ranch, while at the same time selling insurance and tires for Farm Bureau. He also served as the Chairman of the Lemhi County Young Republicans. It was during this time that Shorty met, totally fell in love with, and in 1967 married, his beloved wife, Vickie Patton. After the birth of their son, Dean, and a year-long tour in Vietnam, they purchased the main ranch from his parents and continued the 225- head cow/calf unit operation. While on the ranch in 1971, their daughter Donna joined the family. With a 50% loss of their calf crop to polyarthritis in 1973 and the resulting financial struggle, they sold the ranch to John DeLorean (of the car fame). Over the next few years, he continued to work with his Dad while they ranched, subdivided properties, and built houses in and around Salmon, Idaho. This included establishing the sub-division on Adams Drive in Salmon as well as creating the 325-acre Sunset Heights sub-division, where Shorty built most of the roads and; with his Dad, constructed an engineered, double tank, public culinary water system for 78-households, and installed the water lines required. He later worked for a local construction company, where he built roads for the BLM and the Forest Service, installed some of Salmon’s city sewer lines, along with some part-time logging and ranching; and built his family’s first colored TV set from the ground up. In 1978, Shorty moved his family to Tooele, Utah, where he worked as a civil service employee at the Tooele Army Depot (TEAD) where among other things, he wrote the repair manual for the M1 Abrams tank. After six years, Shorty and his family moved back to Salmon where he operated the family’s gold mine. During this time, he and his family enjoyed living on Stormy Peak Road in the Salmon River Mountains where they shared a one room log cabin (with the requisite outhouse) for two years before returning to TEAD in 1986 where he continued writing repair manuals for 10 models of the 113 A3 APC, M9 Ace, and M1 A2 Abrams Tank. He lived in Grantsville, Utah, where he started a tree trimming service and a hot tub rental, service, and repair business and in 1994 moved to Tooele. In 2009, he and wife moved to Ophir, Utah. Shorty formally retired from government service in 2011. Shorty is survived by Vickie, his loving wife of 53 years, his son, Milton “Dean”, Tooele, Utah; his daughter, Donna (Tex Watkins), Ophir, Utah; grandson, Tritton (and fiancé, Noel), Roy, Utah; grandson, Brayden (Alyssa), serving with the United States Marine Corps in Kings Bay Georgia and great grandson Alec. Also surviving is a granddaughter, Jessie (Micah) Laack and great grandsons, Harley and Norman, Carson City, Nevada; sister, Karen (Larry) Johnson, Meridian, Idaho; brother Gary (Arnyce), Alexandria, Virginia; a very close friend and coffee buddy Walter (Betty) Shubert; and some very special nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Terry. A graveside service will be held in the Adams Family Cemetery, Sunset Heights, Salmon, Idaho, on August 27, 2020, at 12:00 pm “High Noon”. The Adams family would like to express their gratitude and appreciation to the Tooele employees of Canyon Home Care and Hospice (Dr. Parker, Charisa, Guy and Misty). We also want to express special appreciation to Pastor Greg Middlebrook, Faith Bible Chapel Foursquare Church, Salmon, Idaho. In lieu of flowers: Shorty requested donations be submitted to the Shriners Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City Utah.

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Milton "Shorty" Adams

January 23, 1944 - August 22, 2020

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Milton "Shorty" Adams

January 23, 1944 - August 22, 2020

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