Leonard "Len" Howard Dalton, Jr.

A Mass of Christian Burial for Mr. Leonard “Len” Howard Dalton, Jr. will be at the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Campti, LA on Monday April 21, 2014 at 11:00 am with Fr. Ryan Humphries, Fr. Nolan Lowry (grandson), Fr. George Pookkattu, Fr. Dan Cook, Fr. Louis Sklar serving as celebrants. Interment will follow at the chuch cemetery. Visitation will be at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches, LA from 6-9 pm on Sunday, April 20th with a rosary at 7:00 pm and a eulogy to follow by Rev. Wiley Cole.  Visitation will be again on Monday the 21th from 9 am until the time of Mass at the church in Campti.  Leonard “Len” Howard Dalton, Jr. peacefully left our lives on April 16, 2014 at the age of 83.  He was born to Leonard Howard and Ena Marjorie (June) Lynch Dalton on November 1, 1930 in Fyzabad, Trinidad, West Indies.  He completed his secondary education at San Marcos, TX Academy and attended De La Salle College, Alberto, Canada.  In 1948 at 17, he entered the U.S. Navy and served on the USS Valley Forge aircraft carrier during the Korean War.  He received a Purple Heart and the China Service Medal.  In 1951 he married Irene Booth and had 5 daughters; Shane, Vonne, Lenette, Shanis, and Sharell.  They made their home in Gilmer, TX for many years and Len worked at General Dynamics and later owned a Maytag dealership.  He then moved to Campti, LA and married Kaye Fletcher Custis in 1985.  He welcomed two sons, Troy and Jeffery Custis.  He had many interests and careers including Dalton Construction, The Brumley Brothers Band and Dalton Dog Feeders.  His many talents included building, creating, inventing, musician, raising a variety of animals, training of children, horses and dogs.  We will all miss his great sense of humor.  Lastly he was internationally known for raising and training his own established breed, Dalton Dog.  The Dalton Dog Men were established to carry on this line of cattle dogs. He was a member of the Nativity Catholic Church in Campti, practicing his strong Christian beliefs, Knights of Columbus, American quarter Horse Assn., lifetime member of American Border Collie Assn., Working Cow Dog Registry, and the North American Australian Kelpie Dog Registry. Len’s family was his most cherished accomplishment.  He is preceded in death by his parents, his daughter, Lenette Tidwell, and his siblings, Peggy Cornish, Dave and Jeff Dalton. He is survived by his wife of 28 years, Kaye; his sister, Helen Schlitt (John) of Florida; daughters, Shane Jackson (Vance Lowry) of Gilmer, TX, Vonne Walton (Rick) of Chico, TX, Shanis Young (Sammy) of Mineola, TX, Sharell Eason (Ronnie) of Dipping Spring, TX; sons, Troy Custis of Campti and Jeffery Custis (Kristen) of Campti; 14 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren. Those honored to serve as pallbearers include: Rebel Jackson, Justin Walton, Damon and Mitchell Young, Daniel Eason, Troy and Jeffery Custis.  Honorary pallbearers will be Dalton Dog Men, Clay Bridges, Jerry Jones, Logan Leach, Lanny Leach, Lynn Goforth, Quinten Schneider, Vance Lowry, Rick Walton, Sammy Young, Ronnie Eason, Jeffrey Dalton, Clay Dalton, Lance Green, Damon Boyd and Jack McLaren. The family expresses their appreciation and gratitude to Len’s caregivers, Dr. Stephen and Kathleen Kautz and Hospice of Natchitoches, especially Hope and Rachel.