Rev. Darwin Dan Garton

The Rev. Darwin Dan Garton completed his baptismal journey on Monday morning, December 14, 2015 at Eastmont Towers in Lincoln, NE following a short illness at the age of 61. 

Darwin was born September 22, 1954 at the Odell, NE hospital to Daniel F. Garton and Jennie E. (Lottman) Garton. He attended school at District 152 (Prairie College) of rural Diller, then in Diller, Beatrice, Bruning, and Superior before being graduated from Lincoln Northeast High School in 1972.

In January, 1976, Darwin met Vicki Sue Blanton of Lincoln, NE. They quickly fell in love and were married October 29 of that year. To this union were born three children: Robert Daniel, Randall (Randy) Kent, and Renea Sue. During their years of marriage, Darwin and Vicki enjoyed bowling in leagues, playing cards, and fishing. Darwin also enjoyed hunting ducks, pheasants, and whitetail deer, and was a student of the Bob Ross School of Painting. 

In the years before becoming an ordained minister, Darwin worked as a welder, metal fabricator, and shop foreman for numerous employers and was a member of the National Welding Society. Later, he worked as a design engineer for 20 years at Snyder Industries of Lincoln, NE, where he was awarded a number of inventor patents through the United States Patent Office. 

After much prayer and discernment, Darwin answered God’s call to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He entered the Theological Education for Emerging Ministries program at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in the fall of 2004. He was graduated from the program in 2008 and was ordained October 17, 2008. He was first called to serve Edensburg Lutheran Church of Malmo, NE. Darwin then served at Salem Lutheran Church in Wakefield, NE before beginning a transitional ministry for St. Mark’s Lutheran Church of rural Verdon, NE and St. Peter’s Lutheran Church of rural Falls City, NE earlier this year. 

Darwin’s call to ministry was rooted in a deep compassion for others in the model of Christ the servant. In this capacity, Darwin served as the Pastoral Advisor for Lutheran Men in Mission – Nebraska; a former member of Kiwanis International of Wahoo, NE; a certified Spiritual Director through Seeking the Spirit Within of the Nebraska Synod, ELCA; a certified Prepare and Enrich marriage counselor; and as a former TEAMATES mentor at Wahoo. 

Darwin was preceded in death by his parents Dan and Jennie Garton and his mother-in-law Donna Ross. 

Darwin is survived by his wife Vicki Garton of Lincoln; children: son Robert (Chrissy) Garton of Wymore, NE, son Randy (Amy) Garton of Lincoln, and daughter Renea (Greg) Hastings of Lincoln; granddaughters: Lydia and Lily Hastings of Lincoln, Brigid and Clara Garton of Wymore, and Gracie Garton of Lincoln; Siblings: sister Virginia (Jerry) Beckmann of Lincoln, brother Virgil (Judy) Garton of Diller, and Maxine (Kurt) Davidson of Syracuse, NE.