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IN LOVING MEMORY OF Nena Sue Thornton
Nena Sue
Thornton
Aug 3, 1934 — Mar 21, 2023
Nena Sue Thornton's Obituary
Nena Sue Thornton, our beloved Mom, Gramne, and Gigi, went home to be with her Savior on March 21st, 2023 at the age of 88.
She was born on August 3, 1934 to Cleo and Arden Taylor, in Phoenix, Arizona, where they lived until she was four. She had one older brother, Billy Arden, whom she adored. The family moved to Brownwood, Texas for a time, but returned to Arizona when she was a teenager.
She graduated from Glendale High School and attended Arizona State University where she received her BA degree in Elementary Education. It was at ASU that she met the "Yankee" that would change her life. Robert Thornton was a serious student from Illinois who "swept her off her feet" and they eloped during their junior year of college. They graduated in 1954 and moved to Illinois, where Bob went into his family business and Nena taught second grade for one year. She spent the next years doing what she loved, being a wife and mother to four. This included all kinds of school events, PTA, sports practices and games, high school plays, and the many hours in the car to get everyone where they needed to be.
Church music was a vital part of her life. She was a skilled musician who began piano lessons as young as six years old and starting as a teenager, faithfully played piano or the organ for services at the churches she attended through the years. She continued to share her love of God through music well into her 80s by playing piano at a local nursing home.
Those who knew Nena can't help but to remember her joyful spirit and infectious laugh. She loved God and she loved her family. Those lucky enough to be related to her were blessed beyond measure by her fierce loyalty and abundant generosity.
When she wasn't in church, on the sands of Hawaii, in the movie theater, or at her regular mani/pedi appointments, she was enjoying her down-time at what she called the "resort" in Sycamore, where she happily lived the last years of her life with son Mike and daughter-in-law Jenny.
Nena was very proud to be the matriarch of a large and close-knit family. She counted her blessings for all the wonderful things God had given her: 4 outstanding children: Mike (Jenny), Greg (Grace), Dave (Tammy), and Marylynn; 13 wonderful grandchildren; and 25 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert, in 2001.
A visitation will be held at Butala Funeral Home in Sycamore, IL, on Friday, March 24 from 4:00 to 8:00 pm.
A celebration of life is being held at Crossview Church, 150 Bethany Road in DeKalb, IL on Saturday, March 25 at 11:00 am.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Crossview EFCA Church (
crossviewefca.com
), the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago (
moody.edu
) or the Multiple Sclerosis Society (
nationalmssociety.org
) in care of the Butala Funeral Home, 1405 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore, IL. 60178.
To sign the online guest book, go to
www.ButalaFuneralHomes.com
To send flowers or plant a memorial tree in memory, please visit our flower store.
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