Reunion Details
March 30, 2008 | Reunion 2008
Please give an account if you have reserved a motel, lodge, or chalet and for how many days. Do it as soon as possible. Remember to ask for Carol when you call. See number to call under Brenda’s “Reunion Details”.
Now, other news. From the Thornton Family. Young Patrick has been called as Bishop of the new Ward that has been formed in the Tampa area. His Bishop kept trying to give him a calling as a Seminary teacher, and he kept telling his Bishop that he wasn’t supposed to accept that calling, that there was another calling for him, he just didn’t know what it was. And then when the calling for Bishop of the new ward came…the mystery was solved.
Leah Thornton….youngest daughter of the tribe. She was on the verge of marrying an older man (Leah is 25), and he wasn’t a member of the church. Joyce Thornon, her mother (her mother and my long time friend) was frantic. She was praying, fasting, keeping Leah’s name in the temple. And I won’t give all the details, but a young man got baptized into the Birmingham First Ward, and Leah met him, because her sister, Sarah met him first, and thought that Leah should definitely meet him. Or maybe it was Sarah’s husband, RJ, that met him….however it turned out. Anyway. Leah is going to marry this young man, probably in the Birmingham or Orlando temple. (I think???). He hasn’t been a member a year yet, so they will marry civilly first. Leah is insisting that they get married right away. She is going by the latest directions by the apostles that it is better now for young people to go ahead and marry civilly in such cases, rather than temping fate. It is much better. She is 25 and he is 29. Joyce and Pat finally agree to that, so Leah will probably get married very soon.
Lisa….Thornton’s oldest daughter. She has repented. Put on her garments again, and has returned to the temple. Lisa is married to the second husband, who is not a member of the church. Talmadge, her first husband, was a member of the church, but he left it, and he also left Lisa and the children, and married someone else. It has taken Lisa years to recover from the heartbreak of all of that, but she kept the children active, and now her oldest daughter is going to be married in the South Carolina Temple the last of April.
That again, is due to the faithfulness, and the prayers and fasting of one of the most spiritual and finest women I have ever known…my friend, Joyce Thornton.
Joyce Thornton, herself…..I have never known a more benevolent and charitable person in my life. Her ears and eyes are always open and ready to help. I have had the pleasure of being her companion visiting teacher, and she really kept us going.
We never missed a single month. We did more than our 100%. We ran the gamut and did 120%. We were always mindful of the needs of our sisters.
I will never forget how Joyce called for a visit with Roberta Thomason, and she didn’t get an answer. She called the next day, and didn’t get an answer. She called me, and she said, “This is not like Roberta, she’s always at home. I haven’t been able to get hold of Tad, either.” (You will remember that Tad was her only son) She called the third day and couldn’t get hold of Roberta. Then she got Tad, and told him of her concern. He told her not to worry. I wasn’t concerned either. I told her not to worry. Nope. Not Joyce’s style!! She went over to Roberta’s house, and knocked on the front door. No answer. She knocked on the back door. No answer. She tried to peek in windows. Finally, she somehow broke into the front door, and went it, called for Roberta. Everything was dark and smelled funny. She went into Roberta’s bedroom, and found her dead in the bed. It looked like she was having an attack, and there was an expression of fear on her face. She must have then made it to the bed and fell back on it.
If not for Joyce, and her concern for her fellowman…..how long would this lonely widow have remained alone in her home and deceased, as evidently not a whole lot of people kept up with her.
Well, there I go writing a lot again.
It’s Sunday afternoon….10 minutes until five o’clock. Jordan, the cat, Teyla, and Carmen are all in Carmen’s bed. Luis is reading the paper, and I think I’ll go rest.
8 Responses to “Reunion Details”
“Joyce Thornton”:
What’s funny is, I had Sis. Thornton as my SS teacher when I was, what, maybe 11, 12? My recollection was that we all that she was “very mean,” not much of a sense of humor, etc.
Imagine my surprise when, upon telling Mom about our “mean ol’ SS teacher,” she replied, “oh, Sis. Thornton and I are best friends!”
I just could never square the two!
(Please remember these are the recollections of a 12-year-old).
By bill on Mar 30, 2008
well I have a little news. I am supposed to sign a lease for another year in my apartment in two days, and funny thing happened today. I was talking to a nice retired woman at work today (I have to go every sunday to work right after church). She was talking about how she and her husband lived on Lay lake. She said ” we pay $200 a month for our lot. It is mostly retired people and we all love to garden”. She said “My best friend and her husband are buying a new trailer, why don’t you buy her old one, it is actually very nice and she is selling it for $10,000 but I bet she would sell it to you for $8,000.” I told her I was paying $785.00 a month rent for a one bedroom apartment and I hated throwing money down the drain like that. I told her I would love to buy a trailer and save up to buy some land and put a trailer on it and build a house (sounds, familiar …..) she said the guy that rents the lots has had the land in his family for over 100 years, they are right on Lay lake. If I pay him $2,400 for a years rent on the land and buy the trailer for $8,000 thats $10,400. Well Dad told me the other day he was going to give me $1,500 a month up until December and that would be it. So I am going to go down there on my off day tuesday and look at the Land and the trailer. If I feel it is the right thing to do, I am going to ask Dad if I can have the money up front (which is $12,000) and make this happen. I would love to live around a bunch of retired people who love to garden, this is right up my ally. Then I crunched my numbers, and I can support myself alone after that, I won’t need any financial help anymore. I pay my tithing and also its kinda weird this happened two days before I started to sign another lease. My patriarchal blessing states flat out “You will have a home of your own” , We will see…I will keep you posted.
By lainie on Mar 30, 2008
Oh yes this is about 35 minutes from work because I work in the Pelham store. Thats how far I drive anyway.
By lainie on Mar 30, 2008
That sounds wonderful, Lainie. Dad should go with you and look over the situation, don’t you think? HOwever, I think prayer is the best guide. You really need something like this. I’ve been very worried about your future. I have known you couldn’t depend on your Dad forever. And we can do nothing, because Carmen and Jason are going to be with us for a very, very long time. Frankly, I don’t see them EVER moving out. He has that family to support in New Jersey, and it takes nearly all of his money. It leaves him almost nothing for his family here in Florida. And Carmen certainly can’t support them. If not for that, you would have a guaranteed home with us. Dad and I are making it a top prayer on our list every night to pray about your situation, and your name stays in the Orlando Temple. ALL MY LOVE FOREVER….MOM
By mother on Mar 31, 2008
I went over there today and looked at the Trailer and the land. I think I can offer her $7,000 for the trailer and then I need to redo the flooring which will be about $3,000 and paint $500 (inside and out) I can do that . So I will put $10,500 into in and I am going to landscape it as well ($1,000) (Thats around say $12,000) and I think I can probably get $18,000 for it if I sell it. (After my work) The property is prime. It has a wonderful view and a nice shed for my tools and an extra family room with a fireplace as well, it is next to a marina.It also has a nice back deck (which I will stain). I took alot of pictures to show Dad. Its a good investment. As I looked around I realized the people there didn’t know how to landscape professionally as I do. It would put me in the Columbiana ward. If this is what the Lord wants me to do everything will fall into place. I would have a bedroom and an office. Of course the office could be a bedroom if Casey or Bailey ever needed it. I think alot of the trailers there are vacation homes. the lady that showed it to me said its very safe and there has never been any problems there. I work in the best place to get materials at a great cost. Honestly, who could buy a home for $12,000 (including beautiful landscaping and a view). I am thinking of using laminate all through the house except the family room and my bedroom in which case I will probably carpet that. I am on the budget plan I can’t afford hardwood floors.
By lainie on Apr 1, 2008
Lainie – If you’re looking at $1500 dollars a month till December for a total of $12,000 dollars, isn’t that enough to make a downpayment on a home/w land. I’m not sure what the cost of living is there but a trailer somebody else’s land doesn’t have much room to appreciate does it.
Just some thoughts. good luck!
By ben on Apr 1, 2008
I can’t afford to make house payments Ben. The point is to live in a home paid off. Because of where this is located I can fix it up and relandscape it and sell it for alot more. Then…I will have some cash hopefully around $18,000 to move up. I only bring home $1,200.00 a month. Certainly this number will go up as I work at Home Depot. Already other Home Depots in the area are asking me to transfer. I expect in a few years or less I should be manager over the Outside Garden Department and my income will go up considerably, or other job opportunities will arise….you never know whats in store. I would really like to buy some land on the lake. Some of the prices are pretty reasonable. I have to take it one little step at a time.
By lainie on Apr 1, 2008
I should have looked here first for information, Lainie. Now I understand. I hope your father will go along with this. I can’t see why not. Twelve thousand isn’t much for him, and he can be finished with you, as you said, and you will have a home.
I hope so much that everything works out. The fact that you are (and I think we can easily call you a professional landscaper) is a big plus. By the time you finish with the place, with all that you planned, I think you probably could sell it for more. If not, you’ll have yourself a nice home.
By mother on Apr 1, 2008