Robert D. Thornton

Robert D. Thornton "Bob" was born February 19, 1924, to Jesse Benton and Mary Susan Cooper Thornton of Warren County, KY. Like his older brothers, Robert would be active in local sports: he was a regular on the Woodburn High and South Warren High School basketball teams (#77). After completing high school in 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Marines and served during the last year and a half of World War II. Bob married Juanita Meredith, daughter of Henry and Florence Kirby Meredith, and had two children: Jana and Mike Thornton. Robert Thornton died Dec. 12, 1989.

In the third photograph below, Bob is standing next to his teammate and brother, Jesse W. Thornton (holding the trophy), my grandfather.

Woodburn High School

The Woodburn area of southern Warren County and northern Simpson County, KY, was home to four generations of Thorntons, several of whom attended the local high school...

In this 1934 freshman class photo, we see my great-uncle, Roy Neal Thornton, and his future bride, Helen Freas. Can you spot Uncle Roy and Aunt Helen?

























Woodburn had a solid reputation in sports, sending several scholarship players to various state colleges. Both my grandfather, Jesse Willard (2nd from left, bottom row), and my great-uncle, Roy Neal (2nd from right, bottom row), received such recognition, before war and marriage intervened...