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These notices are dated: 06-03-2004
Jesse Thornton, 79, lived a life of service
Jesse William Thornton kept his high school class ring in a jewelry box for more than 60 years because he didn't graduate with his senior class.
The Walton resident, who died Tuesday at 79, enlisted in the Navy in December 1941. His son, Charles Thornton of Walton, said he left for boot camp in March 1942, just a few weeks before graduation.
Mr. Thornton served as a naval aviator in the Pacific theater during World War II.
When he returned home to Walton, he started working for what's now known as Cinergy. He retired as a district supervisor after 43 years.
Helping others became a way of life for Mr. Thornton.
He and his wife, Nell Jean Craddock Thornton, served on the Walton Volunteer Fire Department for more than 50 years. They graduated from Kentucky's first EMT class, and the state named them EMTs of the Year in 1996.
When they first started volunteering, Walton was very rural. "If you had to go to the hospital, you either got there yourself or hoped the Chambers and Grubbs (Funeral Home) hearse was available, " Charles Thornton said.
Mr. Thornton and his wife founded the Walton Rescue Squad. The first ambulance was a 1956 Ford station wagon and an Army surplus stretcher, his son said.
Mr. Thornton belonged to other community groups, including the First Baptist Church of Walton and the Walton Masonic Lodge. He also served as an auxiliary deputy in Boone County and Walton.
"There were a lot of facets to dad's life, " his son said. "He had a very, very dry sense of humor. He was the kind of person who could find something good out of most situations."
In 2002, the General Assembly passed House Bill 45, which allowed Kentucky school districts to give diplomas to World War II veterans who left school for military service.
Some of Mr. Thornton's family used the law to get him a diploma from Walton Verona High School.
On the day in December 2003 when they surprised him with the diploma, Mr. Thornton asked to have his class ring taken out of the jewelry box.
"I guess I can wear that now, " he said, and after more than 60 years, finally put the ring on his finger.
Other survivors include a daughter, Candace Thornton-Biddle of Louisville; seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
His wife preceded him in death in 2000.
Visitation is Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home in Walton. The funeral is 10 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Highland cemetery in Fort Mitchell.
Memorials may be made to the Walton Fire Department, 11 High School Court, Walton, Ky., 41094, or the American Lung Association, Box 9067, Louisville, Ky., 40209.
Carolyn Brindley, 67, of Carrollton, died Tuesday at Carroll County Memorial Hospital, Carrollton. She was a member of the Carroll County Memorial Hospital board, a former Carrollton City Council member and a Carroll County magistrate. She also served on the Carroll County Senior Citizens Advisory Panel, was a volunteer with the American Red Cross and was a founding member of the Carroll County Football Boosters. She was a retired school bus driver with Carroll County Schools and was a retired correctional officer with Luckett Correction Complex, and was a member of Carrollton United Methodist Church. Her husband, Norman "Doggie" Brindley, died in 1993. A daughter, Cindy Weedman, died in 1982. A stepson, Mike Brindley, died in 2003.
Survivors include a daughter, Patricia Roeder of Carrollton; a son, Kevin Brindley of Carrollton; her mother, Edith Bassett Hunter of New Castle; sisters, Laverne Tilley of Carrollton, Dorothy Ann Bowman of New Castle and Joan Leap of Vevay, Ind.; and four grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Graham-Dunn Funeral Home, Carrollton. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, at the funeral home. Burial will be in IOOF Cemetery, Carrollton. Memorials are suggested to Hospice of Northern Kentucky, 1403 Alexandria Pike, Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075; or Weisskopf Child Evaluation Center, University of Louisville, 132 E. Gray St., Louisville, Ky. 40202.
Anna Belle Ransdell Bush, 94, of Erlanger, died Wednesday at her home. She was a homemaker and a former cafeteria worker with Erlanger-Elsmere Schools. She was a member of Erlanger United Methodist Church, and was active in the church choir and 50 Plus group. Her husband, Stewart Bush, died in 1976.
Survivors include a son, Jerry S. Bush of Hebron; a daughter, Doris Cheatham of Burlington; a brother, Lee Ransdell of Villa Hills; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Erlanger United Methodist Church. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Friday. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger. Memorials are suggested to Erlanger United Methodist Church, 31 Commonwealth Ave., Erlanger, Ky. 41018; or Hospice of Northern Kentucky, 1403 Alexandria Pike, Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075.
Lavinia Mae Davis, 89, of Fort Thomas, died Monday at Highlands of Fort Thomas nursing home. She was a homemaker and a member of St. John United Church of Christ in Bellevue, the Lucy Albert Literary Club, Youth Haven Guild, Holly Hill Guild and Hiland Homemakers. Her husband, James Davis, preceded her in death.
Survivors include sons, Jim Davis and Barry Davis, both of Cold Spring; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Services were this morning at A.C. Dobbling and Son Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Burial was in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate. Memorials are suggested to St. John United Church of Christ, 415 Park Ave., Newport, Ky. 41071; or Leukemia and Lymphoma Association, 105 W. Fourth St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.
W. Carl Dunn Jr., 74, of San Angelo, Texas, died May 27 at his home.
Survivors include sons, Phillip Dunn of Roy, Utah, Eldon Jones of the Colony, Texas, Donald C. Dunn of Dry Ridge, James W. Dunn of Irving, Fred Mayberry of Abilene, Texas, and Lloy Dale Englert of San Angelo; a daughter, Bonnie Sue Weidner of Florence, Texas; his mother, Emma M. Dunn of Hebron; and sisters, Helen M. Dunn of Bronson, Fla., and Brenda Hopper of Hebron.
Services were Saturday at Johnson Funeral Home, San Angelo. Burial was in Lawnhaven Memorial Gardens, San Angelo.
Donald Kay Ecklar, 60, of California, died Tuesday at Grant Manor Health Care Center, Williamstown. He was a police officer with the Williamstown Police Department and an Army veteran.
Survivors include sons. Donald Lee Ecklar and Danny Joseph Ecklar, both of Corinth, Donald Ray Ecklar and Douglas Ecklar, both of Williamstown; a daughter, Melissa Spicer of Florence; his mother, Mayme Catherine Ecklar of Williamstown; and brothers, Jerry Thomas Ecklar of Jonesville and Paul Ecklar of Morning View.
Services will be at 1:30 p.m. today at Camp Nelson National Cemetery, Nicholasville. Elliston-Stanley Funeral Home, Williamstown, is handling arrangements.
Robert L. Evans, 80, of Highland Heights, died Friday at his home. He was a retired foreman with Zero Breeze Roofing Co. and an Army veteran of World War II. His wife, Eunice Evans, died in January.
Survivors include sons, Clayton Morgan, Larry Evans, Robert Evans and Tim Evans, all of Cincinnati; daughters, Dianne Evans, Kathy Evans, Sandy Evans and Sarah Evans, all of Cincinnati; and four grandchildren.
Memorial services will be at noon Saturday at Fares J. Radel Funeral Home, Highland Heights. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Saturday. Cremation will be at Fares J. Radel Crematory, Cincinnati. Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice.
Catherine Odessa Taylor Gaines, 75, of Williamstown, died Tuesday at St. Charles Care Center, Covington. She was a former nurse's aide with Grant County Hospital, Williamstown.
Survivors include her husband, Lillie Floyd Gaines; daughters, Sharon E. Rasnick of Hamilton, Ohio, Debra S. O'Der of Dry Ridge and Patricia E. Wade of Fairfield, Ohio; sons, Lewis E. Frith of Goshen, Ohio, Daryl C. Frith of Batavia, Ohio, Kenneth D. Frith of Covington and Timothy C. Frith of Milford, Ohio; sisters, Don Ella Altizer of Williamstown and Betty Smith of Manning, S.C.; 14 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Florence. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Owenton Cemetery.
Margaret Louise Griffith, 64, of Carrollton, died Tuesday at her home. Sons, Ronnie Griffith and Jerry Griffith, both preceded her in death.
Survivors include sons, William Chester Griffith and Greg Griffith, both of Carrollton; sisters, Emma Jean Beach, Christine Burgess and Connie Jones, all of Ghent, Kathy Beach of Florence and Edna McIntyre of Sparta; and brothers, Walter Allen Beach of Ghent and Frank Beach of Owenton.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Graham-Dunn Funeral Home, Carrollton. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Ghent Masonic Cemetery.
John E. "Bulldog Williamson" Johnson, 59, of Knoxville, Tenn., died Tuesday at Fort Sanders Regional Hospital in Knoxville.
He was an Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War.
Survivors include sons, Jeremiah Johnson and Steve Johnson, both of Knoxville; a daughter, Tara Johnson of Covington; stepmother, Mary Johnson of Knoxville; brothers, Joe Johnson, Claude Johnson, Robert Johnson, Jeff Johnson, Daniel Johnson and Russell Williamson, all of Kentucky; sisters, Janice Johnson, Louie Bright and Cheryl Beeler, all of Tennessee, Paulette Phelps of Alexandria, Vivian Burkhardt of Colorado and Mary Williamson of Alabama; and a grandson.
Services will be at 1 p.m. today at Grandview Cemetery, Knoxville. Smith Mortuary, Maryville, Tenn., is handling arrangements.
JoAnn Killen, 69, of Erlanger, died at 7:53 p.m. Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood.
She was a member of Immanuel Baptist Church, Covington.
Survivors include sons, Mike Hoskins and Ben Hoskins, both of Elsmere, and Joe Hall of Indiana; daughters, Lisa Gibson of Elko, Nev., Veronica Hoskins of Elsmere, Dawn Placke of Latonia and Holly Pitt of Dayton, Ohio; a brother, Carroll Killen Jr. of St. Petersburg, Fla.; sisters, Barbara Jackson of Crestview Hills and Judy Scott of Mobile, Ala.; grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Private services will be at the convenience of the family. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill. Memorials are suggested to American Lung Association, 11113 Kenwood Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45242. Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia, is handling arrangements.
Chella Jane Kuhn, 76, of Crestview Hills, died Wednesday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence.
She was a former teacher with Covington Independent and Kenton County schools and a former data entry clerk with the Internal Revenue Service.
Survivors include her husband, Charles Kuhn; a daughter, Lynn C. Flake of Sterling, Va.; sons, Curt S. Kuhn of Milford, Ohio, and Mark C. Kuhn of Clinton, Miss.; a sister, Patricia Siska of Albuquerque; a brother, James Wert of Richmond, Va.; and six grandchildren.
Services will be at noon Saturday at Stith Funeral Home, Florence. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice.
Janice Fay Cole Haskins Southerland, 61, of Cynthiana, died Tuesday at Grand Haven Nursing Home, Cynthiana.
She was a homemaker.
A son, Jason Scott Haskins, and stepdaughter, Paula McCree, both preceded her in death.
Survivors include her husband, Friend H. Southerland; sons, Timothy Haskins of Bourbon County, Thomas Paris and Friend H. Southerland Jr., both of Oneida, Tenn.; a daughter, Fannie Southerland of Bourbon County; a brother, Randall Cole of Harrison County; sisters, Annastella Simpson of Harrison County, Betty Slade, Martha Gaunce and Linda Carson, all of Cynthiana, Patsy Manley of Harrison County and Doris Morris of Nicholas County; 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Ware Funeral Home, Cynthiana. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Robinson Cemetery.
Annetta Prather Wagers, 76, of Owenton, died Tuesday at her home. She was a retired nurse's aide with Owen County Memorial Hospital, Owenton.
Her husband, Harold Wagers, and a daughter, Charlene Wagers, both preceded her in death.
Survivors include daughters, Teresa Donnelly of Owenton and Sharon Byrd of Corinth; brothers, Estill Prather, Curtis Prather, Raymond T. Prather, Greeno Prather, Danny Dale Prather, Paul Edward Prather and Herbert C. Prather, all of Owenton; sisters, Betty Jean Davis of Jonesville and Louise Wagers of Middletown, Ohio; and four grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at McDonald and New Funeral Home, Main Street location, Owenton. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in IOOF Cemetery, Owenton.
Memorials are suggested to McDonald and New Funeral Home, P.O. Box 474, Owenton, Ky. 40359.
