Wanda Fae Thornton

Wanda was born in Greenville, Texas on August 31, 1922, to Maud Graham Frazier and Franklin Monroe Frazier.

The family lived in the Greenville area until Wanda was six years old. They moved to Oklahoma where they lived in the Bokchito and Caddo school districts during her elementary school years. After returning to Texas for a few years to live in Caddo Mills, the family moved to Shawnee, Oklahoma in 1936. Wanda graduated from Shawnee High School in 1939 and Oklahoma Baptist University in 1944. Wanda was selected Harvest Queen at OBU in 1943.

Wanda completed post graduate training as a medical laboratory technician at University Hospital and Children’s Hospital in Oklahoma City. After her training, she worked at Children’s Hospital, at Lay McDonald clinic in Pawhuska, and in the laboratory of Dr. J. B. Eskridge in Oklahoma City. While working as a laboratory technician, she met a young doctor training as a pathologist, and in June 1947 she and Lowell Thornton married in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Wanda continued to work as a laboratory technician in Birmingham, Alabama and Oklahoma City while Lowell completed his medical training and internship.

After her husband Lowell was called back into the military during the Korean conflict, the family had military assignments in Colorado Springs, San Francisco, and Ft. Ord, California. During these years, daughter Jeanette Alice was born in Birmingham and son Donald arrived at Ft. Ord. In 1953, the family moved to St. Louis, Missouri while Lowell completed three more years of pathology training.

In 1956, the family moved to Lawton, Oklahoma, followed soon by the birth of son Jerry. In Lawton, Lowell worked for eighteen years at Comanche County Memorial Hospital and his private practice, Physicians Laboratory. He also served as pathology consultant for Ft. Sill Army Hospital and the Indian Hospital. Through the years, Wanda worked as needed as a laboratory technician in Physicians Laboratory while raising the family of three children, being involved in the PTA, serving in civic activities, and fulfilling numerous responsibilities during her long-term membership at First Baptist Church.

Wanda and Lowell moved to Shawnee, Oklahoma in 1977. Lowell died in 1991 after a lengthy illness. Wanda was a member of First Baptist Church while in Shawnee.

In November 2010 Wanda moved to Louisville, Kentucky to live near family members. She went home to her Lord and Savior on November 15, 2011.

Wanda is preceded in death by her parents Maud and Monroe Frazier, her sisters Alice Miller and Edwina Miner, her brothers Kenneth Frazier and John Frazier, her husband Lowell F. Thornton, her in-laws Dr. Everett and Verdelle Thornton, and grandson Samuel J. Adams.

Wanda is survived by daughter Jeanette Alice Adams and son-in-law Darrell Adams, son Don Thornton and daughter-in-law Karen Thornton, son Jerry Thornton and daughter-in-law Kim Thornton, granddaughter Laura Adams Henderson and her husband Tyler Henderson, grandson Adam Thornton and his wife Kristen Thornton along with great-grandson Tucker Thornton, grandson Luke Thornton and his wife Susan Thornton, sister-in-law Betty Thornton, along with a number of nieces, nephews, and other cherished family members.

A memorial service will be held in the chapel at Walker Funeral Home in Shawnee, Oklahoma on November 21, 2011, at 1:00 pm. Visitation will be at 10:00 am that day at Walker Funeral Home.

Memorial gifts are requested to be made for the benefit of a local church of each person’s choice.

Arch L. Heady-Cralle Funeral Home has been entrusted with the local arrangements.

Please visit us at www.archlheadycralle.com to leave a condolence for the family