Naomi Walton Obituary

Walton
Naomi Inman
Walton
August 9, 1930
April 17, 2024

Naomi Inman Walton, at the wonderful age of 93, began her heavenly adventure on April 17, 2024. She was a beloved mother, wife, grandmother, aunt and friend of many, and will be deeply missed.
Born on August 9, 1930 in Tullahoma, Tennessee, Naomi spent many of her formative years as a barefoot farmgirl, enjoying farm life with her father and mother, Okie A. and Josie Inman and her two sisters, Ruth and Albertine. She attended small town schools until her family moved to Florida to attend high school at Intercession City Christian Schools. Her family moved their girls once more to Kansas to attend Central Christian College in McPherson to study for teaching. There she met and eventually married the love of her life, Herald Walton from Colorado Springs. Naomi qualified for a teaching certificate at age 19, taking her first teaching position at Good Hope School, a one room country schoolhouse in Kansas. There she proved her skill teaching First through Seventh graders while successfully preparing her Eighth graders to pass the Kansas High School Entrance Exam. She was always eager to share her knowledge and never stopped learning. Her further education included study at Seattle Pacific University, Greenville University, and Illinois State University, ultimately obtaining a Masters Degree in Education. In her 30 years of teaching, she excelled in fostering the love of reading, writing, and learning within her students in the Illinois and Colorado public school systems. Throughout her career, she was known for her ability to engage her students, her dedication to meet them right where they were, and her passion for helping students find the joy of reading. Retiring in 1996, she and Herald then opened the Waltons Mountain Lodge in Manitou Springs and have enjoyed their mountain home.
More than anything, Naomi was a devoted mother with an inextinguishable love for family and fierce determination to support, guide, and encourage those who called her mother and grandmother, no matter what challenges they faced. Together with Herald, she loved spending time with their children and grandchildren, sharing stories, games, hymn sings while playing her piano, and outdoor activities. Her family remembers many road trips and camping, skiing, and a rafting trip down the Arkansas River, Naomi loved to cook and added extra love and creativity to her meals, always making room for guests to enjoy the Sunday tradition of pot roast dinner after church, her lasagna, or dishes including all that wonderful Illinois pork. She especially loved parties and holiday cooking. Who can forget the impromptu chocolate Texas sheet cakes when the teenagers descended, or the Bad-breath 7-layer salad that never disappointed?
Naomi enjoyed sharpening her mind with crossword puzzles and Sudoku, reading of course, and travel, especially cruises. She also wrote an autobiographical book of her early life which will be published this summer. She was an active member of her church, having devoted her life to Christ as a young girl in Tennessee summer campmeeting, and remained faithful to the end. At church she volunteered as leader, teacher, piano accompanist, and summer camp cook.
Naomi is survived by Herald, her loving husband of almost 74 years, whom she married in 1950 and together began an incredible adventure, blessed and secured by God. Also she is survived by their five children, Lawrence (Pat) Walton, Karen (Dick) Flowers, Carol (Steve) Cameron, David (Teri) Walton of Woodland Park, Richard Walton of Manitou Springs, and her 15 grandchildren, Ben (Jen), Nate (Melanie), Jennifer (Tom), Matthew (Evelynn), Greg (Kelsey), Stephanie (Mark), Michelle (Eric), Caitlin (Josh), Denny (Lili), Justin (Karin), Scott (Holly), Jacob, Hanna, Emma, Olivia, and twenty-six great-grandchildren as well as many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents and sisters. Naomi is greatly loved and her memory will be cherished by all who knew her as we look forward to our reunion.
Visitation for family and friends at Swan Law Funeral Home, Saturday, April 27, 1:30-4:00. The Memorial Service is Monday, April 29, at 10:30 in First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs. This will be livestreamed, firstprescos.org.
In remembrance, Naomi requested any donations be made to Central Christian College of Kansas, or to First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs Youth Ministries.