James Eldon Thornton

Services for James Thornton will be 10:00a.m., Thursday, September 7, 2017 at Inola First Christian Church. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery under the direction of the Inola Funeral Home & Crematory. Friends may visit at the funeral home on Wednesday, September 6 from 1pm--8pm.

James Eldon Thornton passed away on Saturday, September 2, 2017. He was 73.

The son of Joel Salsby and Catherine Surrell Thornton was born March 14, 1944 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As a young boy he was raised in the Inola area. There he loved spending time in the woods and the river banks, perfecting his hunting and fishing skills.

On June 26, 1964 James enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. This took him to Camp Pendleton in California. There he met Diane Creamer. They would marry at Camp Pendleton on November 1, 1966. The newly wed couple would stay in California until James was discharged on June 23, 1967.

After being released from the Marine Corps James and Diane moved back to Inola. There he began his working career as a civilian. He began working for Rogers County, and also as a brick mason. However he eventually began working for Sheffield steel, where he worked around 28 years before retiring.

In his spare time, James loved going to auctions, and junking. He also never lost his love for the outdoors, so he was always ready to go hunting and fishing. However his one true love was spending time with his family.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Salsby and Catherine, and infant brother, S.J. Thornton.

Survivors include his wife Diane; daughters, Dallas Brown and husband Tim, and Jamie Thornton-McAfee and husband Matt; grandchildren, T.J and Stephanie Brown, Michael Brown, Dalton Brown and Hunter Thornton, and sisters, Ethel Deramus and husband Wayne and Ruthie McCall.

View and sign James online tribute at www.mmsfuneralhomes.com