Iva May Harris Thornton, was born June 20, 1922, in Kingston, Oklahoma, to parents Alton and Iva May Harris. She had two sisters and four brothers.
She graduated from Tulsa Central High School in 1940. After graduation, she worked at Douglas Aircraft factory during the war. She then went on to get her RN degree from Saint John’s School of Nursing. She met the love of her life on a blind date, William Paul Thornton, who was an engineering student at Oklahoma A&M.
After he graduated, they were married on Sept. 3, 1948. They lived in many small towns in North Texas and New Mexico with Paul’s petroleum engineering work.
May became a full-time wife and mother when their son Bill was born in 1950. Their second son Mike was born in 1952 and their third son Robert in 1954.
May was always involved in her son’s activities, and spent endless hours watching baseball, basketball and football games. In 1958, the family moved to Venezuela, South America, for five years with Paul’s work. In 1963 the family moved to Harrison, Arkansas, where May returned to her nursing career and retired in 1975.
She and Paul moved to Snyder in 1981, where Paul continued his engineering career. After his retirement, they moved to Hubbard Lake at Breckenridge. After moving to Breckenridge, May and Paul were very active in the Bethany Baptist Church and Sunday school classes.
May spent much of her time at the food bank, homemakers club, gardening and spending time with granddaughter Sara.
May was proceeded in death by her parents, husband Paul, one sister and four brothers.
She is survived by her sister Sue Webber of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Bill and Connie Thornton of Little Rock, Louisiana, Mike and Barbara Thornton of Breckenridge, Robert and Connie Jane Thornton of Midwest City, Oklahoma; grandchildren, Chris and Kysia Thornton of Springdale, Arizona, Sara Thornton of Breckenridge, Joseph Flewwellin of Clarksville, Tennessee, Sarah Moreno of Georgetown, Kentucky, Laurie Flewwellin of Georgetown, Kentucky, Michael Thornton of Midwest City, Oklahoma; and great-grandchildren Jonah and Kariel of Springdale, Arizona, Robert and Malachi of Georgetown and Marah and Shana of Hope Mills, North Carolina and loving caregivers Sharon Wise and Martha Hendrick.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 28, at Bethany Baptist Church in Breckenridge, Texas, with interment following at the Breckenridge Cemetery.
McMillan-Satterwhite Funeral Home in Graham is in charge of arrangements.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to The Open Door, 110 N. Live Oak St., Breckenridge, TX 76424.