James McAllister Sutton, 79, of Athens, Ala., began his extraordinary journey on Jan 18, 1932, on a farm north of Rochelle, Wilcox County, Ga. and ended on Monday July 25, 2011 at Huntsville Hospital in Huntsville, Ala.

Mr. Sutton enlisted in the US Army on June 19, 1950 and later moved to the US Air Force. During his military career, he served in duty stations including Germany, Turkey, Pakistan, Morocco, Libya, Iran, Afghanistan, North Carolina, Mississippi and Georgia. He retired from the Air Force as a Master Sergeant in January 1971 after serving 22 years.

Mr. Sutton and his family settled in Macon, Ga. where he worked for the Southern Trust Company. In 1972 he took a job as district service representative with Goodyear Tire and Rubber in Topeka, Kans. In December 1974, Mr. Sutton and his family moved to O'Fallon, Ill. when he began working for the US Army Aviation Systems Command in St. Louis, Mo. as a Material Specialist. After 38 years, 9 months and 14 days of serving his country, Mr. Sutton retired on July 30, 1991. In July of 1997 Mr. Sutton and his family relocated to Huntsville, Ala.
Mr. Sutton was a former member of Shiloh Baptist Church, Shiloh, Ill. and Christ United Methodist Church, Fairview Heights, Ill. and a current member of Isom's Chapel
United Methodist Church, Athens, Ala. He was a 50-year member of the O'Fallon Masonic Lodge 576 AF & AM and a member of American Legion Post 58, in Rochelle,
Ga.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles Otis Sutton, Sr. and Minnie Louisa, (nee Bagwell), Sutton; his first wife Patricia Ann (nee Russel) Sutton, who died Sept. 25, 1983; a son James M. Sutton in infancy; a grandson Justin Brooks; eight brothers, Al Smith, Les Smith, Edwin Sutton (in infancy), George Sutton, Bobby T. Sutton, Floyd Sutton, Charles Otis Sutton, Jr, Johnny F. Sutton and three sisters, Estelle Harvey, Edna Smith, and Robbie Terry.

Surviving are his wife, Gloria, (nee Klein), Sutton, who he married Aug 2, 1986; his
children, Karen (Mike) Brooks and Margaret Smith of Council Grove, Kans., Linda
(Steven) Law of Hazel Green, Ala., Marcia Sutton of Waterloo, Ill., Ashley Sutton of
Athens, Ala. and son, John (Stacy) Bright of Foristell, Mo.; grandchildren, Curtis LaRue, James LaRue, Cory Cranford, Jonya Wendel, Bethany Gappa, Kelly (Jimmy) Johnson, Tracy Menz, Bradley Menz, Saundra Law, Katelyn Law, Sean Law, Sarah Sutton, Kayla Bright, Savannah Bright, Madison Bright and John Raymond Bright; great-grandchildren, Dakoda Kelley, Jordan Kelley, Danielle Wendel, Jimmy Wendel, Adein Kelley, and Makayla Salada.

Also surviving are his brother William (Fran) Sutton, Rochelle, Ga.; sisters, Marion Herring, Centerville, Ga., Annette (Ted) Abbot, Dallas, Ga., Dorothy Terry, Pitts, Ga., and Alice Brooks, Rochelle, Ga.; sisters-in-law, Dorothy Sutton, Rochelle, Ga., Lavern Sutton, Columbus, Ga., Mary Frances Sutton, Macon, Ga. and Deborah (Jay) Miller, O'Fallon, Ill. and brother-in-law, Robert Klein, Millstadt, Ill. and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made to Isom's Chapel United Methodist Church and will be accepted at the funeral home.

Visitation: Visitation will be from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m, Friday, July 29, 2011 at Wolfersberger Funeral Home in O'Fallon, Ill. A Masonic service will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the funeral home.

Funeral: Procession will depart the funeral home at 10:00 am, Saturday, July 30, 2011 for a Graveside Service to begin at 10:30 a.m. at Valhalla Gardens of Memory in Belleville, Ill.