MENDOTA - Arthur Dalton, 94, of Mendota died Jan. 15, 2018 at OSF Saint Paul Medical Center in Mendota surrounded by his family.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 19 at First United Methodist Church, Mendota with Rev. Kent Svendsen officiating. Inurnment will follow at Restland Memorial Gardens, Mendota. Visitation will be held for one hour prior to the service on Jan. 19 at the church.

Art was born May 10, 1923, the only son of Charles and Goldie Trembly Dalton. His father worked for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroads. He married Lois Brown on June 26, 1943. She preceded him in death on Nov. 22, 1997.

Survivors include three sons, Terry (Cathy) of Mendota, David (Maureen) of Evergreen Park and Dennis (Cheryl) of Mendota; seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Art attended Blackstone and Lincoln schools in Mendota. When he was ready for high school, his parents had divorced and his mother married Raymond Swisher, who was principal at Millington. They moved to Millington but Art went to Newark High School. His favorite subject was math, although he much preferred sports over academics. Art played guard as a member of the Newark basketball team, which participated in the Yorkville Holiday Basketball Tournament in 1942. Newark won first place and the record in his alumni book showed he scored 2 points to help the cause. He was also the catcher on the baseball team. During his high school years, he used his stepfather’s name and is listed in the Newark School records as Arthur Swisher.

After graduation, Art decided to return to Mendota and again assumed his biological name of Arthur Dalton. He enlisted the U.S. Army in 1942 and was stationed at Camp Wolters in Texas. During training, he was put in the army hospital and was given an honorable medical discharge. Art begged the Army to let him stay but they would not budge. He worked at Conkey’s from 1942 to 1945 making parts for farm machinery. While at Conkey’s, he met Lois Brown on a blind date. She was also employed by Conkey’s. They were married in Princeton and Art forever remembered, to his chagrin, that when the minister asked if he would take Lois for his lawful wedded wife he said, “NO, I mean YES.” Even with its bad start, the marriage lasted until Nov. 22, 1997, when Lois died.

Art had always wanted to be a police officer, so he joined the Mendota Police Department in 1950. This was before the days of “required courses of the state police department, etc.” He took various training courses to help make him a better officer. He also served as constable for about two and a half years. In 1953, he was named assistant chief of police and in 1968, he became Mendota Police Chief. He served as chief until 1975 when he resigned and again became assistant chief.

Art was the author of much of the chapter on police that is contained in “Tracks of Time,” a history of Mendota from 1853 to 1978. He retired in 1980 after 30 years on the force, as he wanted to spend more time with his family.

Art was proud of his sons, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His sons all graduated from Mendota High School. Terry served in the U.S. Army from 1966-1969 and then became an Illinois State Trooper, retiring in 2001. Later he went to Kosovo to train local police officers for the United Nations. He coached Mendota Little League for 24 years. Terry has two children, Laurie and Matt. Laurie lives in Iowa with her husband, Brad, and daughter, Hannah. Matt, an Illinois State Trooper, is engaged to Sarah. Matt has two children, Lauren and Madelyne, and a baby boy on the way.

David graduated from Illinois State University and has a Master’s degree from Chicago State University. He taught and was a principal in Chicago. Now retired, he loves retirement and his grandchildren. He met his wife, Maureen, in college and she is also retired from teaching. A true Chicago family, he is a Cub fan and she is a White Sox fan - an exciting mix. They have three children. Jennie is married to Grant and they have two children, Caitlin and Elise. Kevin and his wife, Julie, also have two children, Olivia and Owen. Brian is married to Sheila and they live in the northern Chicago suburbs.

Dennis is also a retired Illinois State Trooper, serving from 1979 to 2006. He and his wife, Cheryl have two children, Jamie and Michael. Jamie and her husband, Matt have two children, Landon and Abby. Michael is single and currently teaches in Mendota.

Art was very active in the community while he was Mendota Chief of Police. He was a member of First United Methodist Church for 67 years, was a Mendota Township Trustee for 28 years, a member of the Mendota Moose Lodge for 40 years, Deputy Sheriff of LaSalle County, LaSalle County Deputy Coroner, a crossing guard for Catholic and Blackstone schools, served on the committee to work on the Police Pension Fund, an ambulance volunteer for six years, established the policy for bicycle registration, and was a notary public for four years. He was a lifetime member of the Illinois Valley Association of Police Chiefs, Illinois Association of Police Chiefs and also of the Illinois Police Association. He is a member of the Policeman Hall of Fame in Chicago and his picture hangs in the Hall.

While Lois was able, the couple took several trips including visits to Yellowstone Park and Mount Rushmore. Their favorite day trip was to get in the car and drive to various restaurants along Interstate 80. After retiring from the police department, Art volunteered for 15 years at First United Methodist Church, where he was operator of the sound system, doing so faithfully each Sunday and whenever the sound system was needed including tapes for shut-ins. Art was especially proud that he was married for 55 years.