Mary Louella (Long) Thornton
Marriages
Truman Barks
Divorced
Louie Thornton - 1962
Burial Details
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 5A Obituary - December 8, 2016
Mary Lou Thornton
August 8, 1928 - December 1, 2016
Mary Louella (Lou)
Thornton, 88, of Mesa,
Arizona, passed away on
December 1, 2016.
She was born August 8,
1928, in San Diego, CA. Her
parents were Emma and
Daniel Tony Long. She grew
up on a ranch near Grand
Valley, CO, and graduated
from Grand Valley High
School.
Mary Lou was married to Truman Barks. They divorced, and
she then married the love of her life, Louie Thornton, in 1962.
She is survived by her sons, Jack (Marita) Barks and Dan
(Mary) Barks; daughter, Gayle (Dave) Cox; step-son, Randall
Thornton, and step-daughters, Cindy Freeman, Pamela Mills,
Loretta Catt, and Marlene Fender. She is also survived by her
brother, Ralph (Barb) Long; sister, Alberta Sandelin; halfbrother,
Dean (Mary Jane) Hangs; 26 grandchildren and stepgrandchildren;
32 great-grandchildren and step-greatgrandchildren;
and one great-great-grandchild. She is preceded
in death by her son, Gary Wayne Barks, and by both husbands.
She was a school bus driver for over 30 years in Colorado and
Arizona. She took great pride in her safe school bus driving.
She was totally dedicated to her loving family from her
children to her great-great-grandchildren. She loved laughter
and telling a good, somewhat clean, joke! She was independent
and lived a full and rewarding life.
A visitation will be held from 10 - 10:45 a.m with funeral
services starting at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 10, 2016,
at Callahan-Edfast Mortuary. Burial will follow at Orchard
Mesa Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one’s
choice.
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 7B Death Notice - December 10, 2016
Mary Lou Thornton, 88, Mesa, Arizona, died Dec. 1, 2016, at her home.Visitation will be at 10 a.m. with services at 11 a.m. Saturday at Callahan-Edfast Mortuary. Burial will be at Orchard Mesa Ceme-tery. A luncheon will follow at Northeast Christian Church.She was a school bus driver.Survivors include two sons, Jack Barks of Grand Junction and Dan Barks of Gillette, Wyoming, and one stepson, Randall Thorn-ton of North Carolina; one daughter, Gayle Cox of Grand Junction; four stepdaughters, Cindy Freeman and Marlene Fender, both of Montrose, Pam Mills of Georgia and Loretta Catt of Arizona, two brothers, Ralph Long of Denver and Dean Hangs of Silt; one sister, Alberta Sandelin of Rifle; 26 grandchildren; and 32 great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions to a charity of one’s choice.
