Allen "Tobe" and Sallie Miller Thornton Family

Above, we have Allen M. "Tobe" Thornton who married Sally J. Miller on Dec. 4, 1879, at a dual wedding with his sister Margaret (married Sydney Jeff Jones).  Allen was the son of Robert Benton and Elizabeth Smith Thornton.  In the mid 1890s, Allen and family headed west, first moving to Butler, Missouri, and then to Indian Territory, Creek Nation (present day, Oklahoma).  Sally passed away in 1907.  Allen died in 1939 and was buried at Odd Fellow Cemetery, Ponca City, Oklahoma.

Allen and Sally with children: Maggie, born July 1881, married William Thornton Darr; Addie Laura, born November 21, 1884, married John J. Shinn; Gertrude, born 1887, married 1)William Walter Looney and 2) James Murphy; James Ervin, born 1889, married Odessa McClain; Robert Earl (see entry), born 1894; Betty Lela, born 1899, married Harry W. Rairden, a member of the Osage Nation.

 Gertrude Thornton Looney Murphy.

James Ervin Thornton in military (WWI) uniform and his draft registration card (below), showing his birthplace as Bowling Green, KY.  James married Odessa McClain on April 18, 1911, in Oklahoma.  They had three daughters: Ruth, Mildred, and Elsie L. Thornton.  Sadly, James died shortly after the war, and Odessa married Stillman A. Wilkerson.  The family moved off to Texas where the three Thornton girls were later joined by their half-brother: Stillman A. Wilkerson Jr.  Stillman and Odessa met when Stillman was a roomer in the boarding house of her sister-in-law, Gertrude Thornton Looney (see above).

Wedding Certificate: John H. and Lizzie Kitchens Thornton

Dual Wedding in Sumner County: December 4, 1879

Northern Tennessee has long been the place for southern Kentucky Thorntons to head for quick, simple marriage ceremonies.  On December 4, 1879, Allen M. Thornton and his older sister, Margaret, took their respective partners to Sumner County to obtain licenses.  Afterwards, Allen headed westwards to Oklahoma, while Margaret Thornton Jones remained in southern Warren County, KY.  My 2nd great-grandfather would take his bride-to-be to Sumner County in 1880; my mother and father would marry next door in Robertson County, TN, in 1970.

Death Certificate: Elizabeth Smith Thornton

Perhaps the oldest member of the Thornton family to have ever lived in southern Kentucky, Elizabeth Smith Thornton (Oct. 1814 - Sept. 11, 1916) died in Simpson County, KY, just shy of her 102 birthday.  Her children often told tales that she was part Cherokee and would brush her teeth with ashes in the traditional manner.  Her birth location was unclear even to her children who reported her as having been born in Tennessee, North Carolina, or Virginia.  She married Robert Benton Thornton in 1840 and had ten children: William Frank, Margaret Jones, Polly Thornton (mother of Maggie Campbell Thornton), Elizabeth, Nancy, James Allen, John H. (my 2nd great-grandfather), Allen M., Thomas Benton, and Robert Franklin.

Death Certificate: Thomas Benton Thornton

Thomas Benton Thornton was born on December 15, 1862, to Robert Benton and Elizabeth Smith Thornton.  Between 1910 and 1920, Thomas departed southern Kentucky for Benton County, Indiana, where he worked on the railroad.  In his later years, he moved to Allen County, KY, where he married his second wife, the widow Fannie Calvert Cline.  His first wife was Jeanetta Watkins.  Thomas died on April 8, 1943, Allen County, Kentucky.  No issue.

Death Certicate: Margaret Thornton Jones

John Wilson Thornton Passes Away

Last surviving son of William Virgil Thornton:

Mr. John Wilson Thornton, age 84 of Franklin, died Thursday, October 20^th, at his residence. Crafton Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. A graveside service will be held Sunday at 2pm at the Woodburn Cemetery where military honors will be conducted by the Simpson County Honor Guard. A native of Simpson County, he was the son of the late William Virgil Thornton and Bertha Dobbs Thornton. He retired after 37 years working for the Lenk Company. He served in the Army in the chemical warfare division during the Korean War and was a lifetime member of the American Legion Post 62. He was preceded in death by his wife – Margaret Dallas Thornton. Survivors include 3 sons – John Anthony Thornton, Thomas Wilson Thornton and Bobby Joe Thornton all of Franklin; a daughter – Marsha Thornton of Bowling Green; 5 grandchildren – Amanda Gomez of Nashville, TN, Samantha Rachel Thornton of Portland, TN, Dustin Hunter Thornton of Morgantown, KY, John Michael Thornton and Katherine Haley Thornton both of Franklin and 3 great grandchildren – Tyler Wade Perry and Jacob David Gomez both of Nashville and Emma Jo Thornton of Portland. There will be no visitation.