Alton James Tallent

Alton James Tallent, 83, of Morganton died Friday, June 21, 2013 following a period of declining health. He was born in Burke County on April 5, 1930 and was a son of P. W. and Bessie Jane Hudson Tallent. Mr. Tallent was a U. S. Army veteran serving in Germany as a truck driver during the Korean conflict. For 36 years, he was a long distance and local truck driver for Carolina Freight and retired in 1990. He was a member of Cross Memorial Baptist Church where he served in many church positions including as deacon, and he loved being the church bus driver on church excursions throughout the southeast. He was also an avid gardener who delighted in sharing his corn, watermelons, and vegetables with family, friends, and neighbors.Surviving are his wife of 56 years, Mary Beach Tallent of the home; his son, Jim Tallent and wife, Diane, of Boston, MA; his daughter, Rita Jo Brittain Isaacson and husband, Bill, of Indian Trail, NC; brother, Cecil Tallent and wife, Judy, of Morganton; sister, Hazel Dennehy and husband, Eddie, of Margate, FL, and his canine companion, Lexie.In addition to his parents, Mr. Tallent was preceded in death by brothers, Clyde, Thad, and Forrest Tallent, and by a sister, Frances Carpenter.The funeral will be held at 2:00 p.m. Monday, June 24, 2013, in the Colonial Chapel of Sossoman Funeral Home with Rev. Clyde J. Buckner and Dr. Jeffrey Beach officiating. Entombment will follow at Burke Memorial Park Mausoleum with military honors conducted by the NC National Guard and Caldwell County Veterans Honor Guard. The family will receive friends Monday from 1:00 until 2:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to Cross Memorial Baptist Church, 650 Enola Rd., Morganton, NC 28655 or to Burke Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc., who took excellent care of him, 1721 Enon Rd., Valdese, NC 28690.