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Funeral services were held Monday for Booth Wallentine, a longtime advocate for farmers and ranchers, who led the Utah Farm Bureau for 30 years.

Wallentine died in Salt Lake City on Oct. 24. He was 74.

"Few individuals in our state have contributed more to the preservation and promotion of agriculture and the rural way of life than has Booth Wallentine," former U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett said in a statement.

His career with the farm bureau began when he joined its field staff in 1962. In 1965, he worked for the Iowa Farm Bureau, serving as a radio, TV and information services director and returned to Utah in 1973 as chief executive officer for the Utah Farm Bureau Federation, until he retired in 2003.

Under his leadership, the Utah Farm Bureau pushed state and national agriculture policies that focused on improving the social and economic outlook for farming and ranching families and the rural communities they support.

He also served as vice chairman of the Salt Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, and received its Distinguished Service Award. In addition, he was the president of the Utah Council on Economic Education, advisory member of the Utah Board of Vocational Education, chairman of the Agribusiness Development Council and was co-founder of the Utah Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom and Utah FFA Foundation.

He was born in Paris, Idaho, on Nov. 22, 1937, and raised on a cattle farm.

Wallentine graduated in 1960 from Utah State University, where he earned a degree in agriculture economics. He later served as a member and chairman of the USU Board of Trustees. He received the university's Distinguished Service Award and was an inductee into the Utah Agriculture Experiment Station's Agriculture Hall of Fame.

His more than 40 years of service to USU were highlighted when he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Agriculture in 2004.

Booth also received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's leadership citation for work on water quality, and was honored for his leadership skills by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Utah Cattlemen and Utah Woolgrowers Association.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Raeda McCammon Booth, three children, nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren.