Dave Thornton was born March 9, 1911 in the Meadowbrook community in Roger Mills County, Oklahoma to Molly and T. E. Thornton. He passed away May 14, 2000 at his home in Erick, Oklahoma at the age of 89 years, 2 months and 5 days.

He grew up and attended school at Meadowbrook. He was married to Eula Marriott at Elk City, Oklahoma on October 13, 1934 and they remained at Meadbrook, where he farmed and did carpentry work. In November of 1950, they moved to Erick to make their home. They owned and operated the Thornton Laundry in Erick for 9 years before he went to work full time as a carpenter. He retired from the Erick Fire Department after 20 years of service, and he had also served on the City Council. Dave was very active in the Erick Senior Citizens Group.

He was a member of the Erick First Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents, one son and daughter-in- law, Charles and Sandra Thornton, one grandchild, Warren Scott Gardner, two sisters, and two brothers.

Survivors include his wife, Eula, of the home, two daughters, Ann Menzel and husband, Ron, of Houston, Texas, and Sue Gardner of Tulsa, Oklahoma; ten grandchildren; twenty-four great grandchildren; and one sister-in-law, Myrtle Thornton, of Arvada, Colorado, along with a host of other relatives and friends.

The family requests memorial donations be made to the Erick Ambulance Fund.

Services were held May 17, 2000 at 2;00 p.m. at the Erick First Baptist Church, officiated by Pastor Jeff Avery. Burial was at Erick Cemetery under the direction of Fatheree-Albert Funeral Home of Erick.