He was born Nov. 19, 1910, in Tooele, Utah, the son of William H. and Elzie McClaws Elkington. He lived the first 13 years of his life in Tooele, and then the family moved to a ranch in Bone, Idaho. He graduated from Idaho Falls High School in 1928.

He married Cora Dorothy Judy Sept. 23, 1932, in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They farmed and ranched in Ammon and Bone and raised their family there. He raised registered sheep, cattle and horses, and grew wheat and alfalfa. She passed away Oct. 12, 2000.

He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and served in several callings including a stake missionary twice, president of each of the Priesthood quorums, Idaho Falls Temple officiator for 12 years, Stake Sunday School President, MIA President, and a member of the High Council in the South Idaho Falls Stake and also the Ammon Stake.

He enjoyed family, fishing, hunting, sheep shows and sales, and he always liked to see what was on the other side of the mountain. He was a cowboy orator and was able to recite many long poems even toward the end of his life. He served on the Board of the Purebred Sheep Breeders Assoc., and had served on the Rock Creek District School Board, the Ammon School Board, and the Bonneville County Fair Board for 32 years. He received the Lifetime Recognition Award from the Bonneville County Cattleman's Association. He was a man who was loved and respected by all who knew him, and he was a man of great integrity.

Survivors include 3 daughters; Karen (Derril) Sparks, Woodville, ID, M. Glenna (Byrle) Walker, Ammon, ID, and Elaine (Dennis) Hall, Salt Lake City, UT, 3 sons; Edwin Elkington, Goshen, ID, Keith (Cheryl) Elkington, Ammon, ID, and Brent (Sandy) Elkington, Bone, ID; one sister, LaVerne Harker, Shelley, ID, and one brother, Fred (Joyce) Elkington, Idaho Falls, ID.

28 grandchildren, 74 great-grandchildren, and 14 great-great-grandchildren He was preceded in death by his wife, Cora, a daughter-in-law, Betty Elkington, a brother, 3 sisters, and a grandson, Eric.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 A.M. Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2007, at the Ammon 7th Ward LDS Chapel, 4375 E. Sunnyside Rd. Ammon by Bishop Mike Biddulph. The family will receive friends from 6-8:30 P.M. at Coltrin Mortuary, 2100 First Street, Idaho Falls, on Tuesday evening, and also for an hour prior to the services at the church on Wednesday. Burial will be at the Ammon Cemetery.