Derral Stratton

Derral Drew Stratton, 86, beloved Father and Grandfather, went on his final ride off into the night on his horse, Dan, on December 1, 2024, into the loving arms of his Heavenly Father after a long battle with a debilitating disease, which he endured valiantly. Derral was born on July 17, 1938 to Lockey Mezetta Turnbeaugh and Aril Stratton. He was the second child of four children, Gary, Derral, Marydon, and Cloyd.

Derral resided and passed away in the same house his family was living in when he was born. He spent a lot of time remodeling the house to make it nice. During his youth, he was raised on a farm on Lund highway in Cedar Valley. He was a small, shy, blond boy, but also a big tease and loved to play pranks on others. He was a very hard worker starting at an early age and it continued throughout his life. He milked cows along with other chores on the family farm. At around age ten, Derral also fed Leonard Bulloch’s sheep and helped him take them to the mountain. As he grew older, he started milking cows for the college as well. In his teen years, he began logging for Don Schaffer. He and the other boys working for Don took off hiking on an adventure down to Zion’s National Park one day and were thought to be lost and had many people searching for them. It was a big story at the time and had his parents and the other boy’s parents very worried. Derral knew where he was and they came out a couple days later but had held up during some flash floods that came. He said the hike was a “little bit” longer than the group had anticipated at the time they had come up with their “brilliant” idea.

Derral attended Cedar Jr. High and Cedar High School, where he would ride his horse to school and tie him up. Many times he would come out to find other children riding his horse. He then went on to the College of Southern Utah in Cedar City, Utah and Utah State College in Logan Utah. He obtained an Associates of Engineering Degree from the College of Southern Utah.

Though he didn’t quite complete his Bachelor’s Degree, he was happy being a bachelor and dating. When he had time, he liked to go to St. George to date the girls there. Eventually he met Karen Andrea Peterson, and they were married on August 19, 1961 in St. George, Utah. The marriage was later solemnized in the St. George LDS Temple. They were married for 63 years. After marrying, they lived in St. George where Derral was working for Joy Peterson, his father- in-law, at his Chevrolet/Buick auto dealership. The following year they had the first of their three wonderful children, a son, Troy, who was born in Cedar City because Derral wanted her to have the baby there. Later they moved to Boulder City, Nevada where Derral worked for his wife’s uncle Robin Hanson at a gas station. While living in Boulder, they had their first daughter, Andrea. After a few years they moved back to Cedar City. He bought a gas station and managed that until the love of the mountain drew him back. This is when Derral began his own logging business along with heavy equipment work. He was one “tough” little guy doing extremely “tough” work. He worked tirelessly, harder than anyone we have ever known, to support his family. Very often he left before his children got up, around 4:00 in the morning, and didn’t come home until after they were in bed, around midnight. In the summers, he was gone for weeks at a time when hauling logs off the mountain. When his son was old enough, around 7, he began taking him to work right alongside him. Father and son worked hand in hand. It was during this time in Cedar City, they had their last child completing their family, a daughter, MaraDawn. His family was constantly worried about him as he had many accidents, because of the danger involved in his type of work. One of several boys he hired to work for him logging on the mountain, Tracy Kirkham, became a son to him and a brother to his children. After many years logging, Derral also began working for Cedar City Corporation as chief mechanic and welder. He worked both of these jobs for many years. He later retired from Cedar City Corporation at age 62.

In his spare time, Derral enjoyed riding horses, especially Jitterbug and his beloved Dan. He also loved watching football (favorite team, the 49er’s) and westerns (favorite show, Gunsmoke and all John Wayne movies), playing solitaire, and he especially loved spending time with and teasing his grandkids and great grandkids, who absolutely adored him and he them. He was the most loved grandpa. Derral had a special magnetism about him that drew people to him. He always tried to help anyone who needed it or asked him. He had his own lingo, which we all loved about him. He would say the funniest things in his unique way, such as: his lunch bucket (a pie can), his hat (a brain bucket), his thermos (a water trough), a purse (a satchel) or butter
(salve). He also had sayings he was famous for, such as: (“Go loaded both ways”). He was also known for sending people to the auto parts store for parts that didn’t exist and embarrassing them. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and enjoyed his primary positions and his Service Mission at the Cannery in Cedar City, which he served in for about 7 years.

Derral was “a little man with a huge heart” who was loved and adored by so many, especially his family, and will be forever missed. He will always be in our hearts and our thoughts. Life will not be the same without you. We love you so much dad and grampy. You are our hero!

Derral is survived by his wife, Karen Peterson Stratton, children: son, Troy Charles (Judith - deceased) Stratton of Cedar City, Utah, daughter Andrea (Keith) Maloney of Enoch, Utah, daughter MaraDawn (David) Preece of Payson, Utah, and son, Tracy (Cindy) Kirkham of Summit Utah. Grandchildren: Katelin (Alex) Korth, Laura Stratton, Jessica (Oliver) Smagghe, Tim Stratton, Matthew Stratton, Jacob (Lexie) Maloney, Megan (Jeremy) Eliason, Klayton Maloney, Joshua Maloney, Zakary Preece, Logen Preece, Carsyn Preece, and Aisya Preece and 7 great grandchildren with one on the way. He is also survived by siblings: Gerald A (Patricia) Stratton of St. George, Utah, Marydon (Daryl-deceased) Yates of South Jordan, and Cloyd N (Lynn) Stratton of Cedar City, Utah, Sisters-in-law, Carrie Ann Peterson of Cedar City Utah, and Sherril (Kenneth) Newby of St. George, Utah, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Derral is preceded in death by his parents, Aril and Lockey Stratton, father and mother-In-Law, Joy L. and Erva Peterson, daughter-in-law, Judith Stratton, and brothers-in-law, Daryl Yates, Merlin Peterson, and James Peterson.

Funeral Services will be held on December 10, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at the Southern Utah Mortuary in Cedar City, Utah located at 190 North 300 West. A viewing will be held prior to the services starting at 10:00 a.m. that same morning. Interment will be at the Cedar City Cemetery at 685 N. Main Street in Cedar City, Utah.
To view a livestream of the service and leave online condolences, please visit www.mortuary.org.