Mr. Whorton was born on December 24, 1921, in Harmon County, Oklahoma to William David and Eva Belle (McClendon) Whorton. Living in the Dryden Community, Ted attended Dryden School until he began farming.

For a short time he served his country in the United States Army and returned to the Southwest Oklahoma that he had grown to love. At a family gathering, he met the love of his life, Doris June Taylor, and after a short courtship, they were married on September 6, 1946, and spent the next sixty-four wonderful years together before his death. For many years Ted farmed and ranched in the Dryden Community and still had cattle from the original herd that his father had many years ago. Moving to Jackson County in 1968, Ted farmed and ranched until 2000 when he returned to Harmon County, in the Dryden Community, where he lived until his death.

Preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, John Whorton, Dick Whorton and Clay Whorton and two sisters, Clara Boyd and Bernice Strickland;

He is survived by his wife, of the home; three children, Ronnie Whorton and wife Lyne of Tulsa, Karen Ferguson and husband Stuart of Headrick and Bobby Whorton of Hollis; eight grandchildren, Cheri, Lance, Maria, John, Robert, Josh, Lindsay and Ashley; thirteen great grandchildren; one sister, Margie Shaffer and husband James of Amarillo, Texas along with many nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.

Funeral services for Ted Whorton will be at 2 p.m., Monday, May 16, 2011, in the Dryden Cemetery Chapel with Dr. Royce Smith and Rev. Madison Clinton officiating. Interment will follow in the Dryden Cemetery under the direction of Harmon County Funeral Home of Hollis.

The family ask that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Ted Whorton’s name to the Dryden Cemetery Fund.