 1889 - 1965 (75 years)
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| Name |
Raymond Lewis Thornton |
| Born |
13 Jul 1889 |
McDonough, Chenango, New York  |
| Gender |
Male |
| Died |
18 Mar 1965 |
Binghamton, Broome, New York |
| Person ID |
I6 |
Thornton |
| Last Modified |
24 Feb 2014 |
| Father |
Nathaniel Thornton, b. Sep 1848, Plymouth, Chenango, New York , d. 7 Apr 1901, Oxford, Chenango, New York (Age ~ 52 years) |
| Mother |
Emma Jayne Dean, b. 6 Feb 1850, Scholharie, New York , d. 15 Feb 1928, Oxford, Chenango, New York (Age 78 years) |
| Married |
1870 |
Georgetown, Chenango, New York |
| Family ID |
F1 |
Group Sheet |
| Family |
Ada J Fish, b. 24 May 1889, Binghamton, New York , d. 8 Feb 1989, Binghamton, New York (Age 99 years) |
| Married |
29 Aug 1913 |
Broome, Binghamton, New York |
| Notes |
- 1920 US Federal Census: NY, Broome, Chenango, District 0067
Ray Thornton age 30, Pattern Maker, Valve Factory
Ada J age 30, Parents born in PA
Bernard age 3
Bernice age 1
- 1930 US Federal Census: NY, Broome, Chanango, District 54, Town of Chenango, Nimmonsburg Village
Ray Thornton age 40
Ada (wife) age 40
Bernard age 13
Bernice age 11
Myrl age 8
Winifred age 4
Loretta age 3
Donald age 1 yr 3 months
Fish, Julius age 64
Fish, Loretta age 64
- 1940 US Federal Census: NY, Broome, Conklin, 4-83B
Woodside Avenue
Ray Thornton age 50, Pattern Maker, Valve Factory, Highest grade: HS 1 yr
Ada J age 50
Bernard D age 23, Apprentice, Valve Factory
Bernice age 21
Winifred E age 14
L Joyce A age 13
Donald G age 11
Ada J age 7
Home Value: 500; Income: 1200
- Raymond had the mumps not long before his wedding to Ada. The doctor told him he would likely not have children.
- Bernard was born on Alfred Street, Binghamton. then the family moved to Seminary Ave.
Ada was born on Charlotte St. in Binghamton although the Fishs were from Standfordville, PA according to Jane.
The Thorntons moved to Nimonsburg. Bernard moved there first and lived in a tent while Ray built the house in the evenings and on weekends. All but Bernard were born at Nimonsburg.
Then they moved to Conklin to a farm just east of the Lawrence farm. Ray built a house there. The house later burned down (around 1953) while Jane was away at college. When that happened, the family moved into a trailer home on the same property and lived there for 4 years. Ray and Ada moved to Florida for 4 years then back to Binghamton for 5 years when they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Source: (Interview with daughter Jane in Feb 2014).
- Ray and Ada were married in Binghamton. they honeymooned in Stanford, PA, a trip that took all day by horse and buggy. (Source: Ada Jane Thornton)
- When Bernard and Ray cut down the black maple tree in Nimonsburg, the tree was so large that it became the largest inventory of black walnut wood in the northeast United States. Most of the wood was stored in a large barn that burned, along with the wood in it. Over the next 5 to 6 decades, Bernard and Ray produced fine furniture from what was salvaged from the fire.
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| Children |
| + | 1. Bernard Dean Thornton, b. 19 Aug 1916, Broome, Binghamton, New York , d. 10 Mar 2001, Broome, Binghamton, New York (Age 84 years) |
| + | 2. Bernice Love Thornton, b. 16 Nov 1918, Broome, Binghamton, New York , d. 13 Apr 1997 (Age 78 years) |
| | 3. Myrl Rae Thornton, b. 6 Jun 1921, Broome, Binghamton, New York , d. 8 Oct 1992, Alaska (Age 71 years) |
| | 4. Winifred Eunice Thornton |
| + | 5. Loretta Joyce Thornton |
| | 6. Donald Reeves Thornton, b. 30 Dec 1928, d. 1 Jun 2005, Winter Park, Florida (Age 76 years) |
| | 7. Ada Jane Thornton |
|
| Photos
|
 | Photo of Ray and Ada Thornton Wedding
Photo of Ray and Ada Thornton Weeding |
 | 7 Thornton kids
1937 postcard showing the seven children of Ray and Ada Thornton |
 | Thornton Kids at Nimmonsburg home
Thornton kids sitting on black walnut tree cut down by Ray and Bernard. Left to right: Winnie, Bernice, Joyce, Myrl, Don, and Bernard standing in the back. |
 | Family Picnic
Nita in baby carriage, back row: Bernice, Ray, Ada front row: another cousin Bernice, Don, Winnie, Joyce and Ed Fish standing |
| Headstones |
 | Headstone Ray and Ada Thornton
Headstone for Ray and Ada Thornton |
| Last Modified |
2 Mar 2014 |
| Family ID |
F9 |
Group Sheet |
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| Notes |
- Ray worked in a basket factory around Oxford, NY. He then worked a stone mill like his father had - cutting and smoothing blue stone that would be shipped by specially designed trains to New York, Boston, Philadelphia and others for curbs, sidewalks and other structures. The Blue Stone Golf Course was built on the site after the company went out of business. Someone saw Ray working on equipment and the man asked him if he knew how to read a micrometer. Ray said yes and the man hired him as a mechanic. Before he started his new job, Ray scrambled around to learn how to read a micrometer.
Throughout his life, Ray was a farmer. While he grew crops in Conklin, he later turned the farm mostly to hay.
Ray then and finally worked at the Fairbanks Valve Company in Binghamton, NY. His son Bernard worked at the same plant from his late teen years as an apprentice. Father and son both held the position of pattern maker and they both retired from Fairbanks after long careers there. Bernard's sons worked at Fairbanks during summer breaks to have money for college.
- 1900 Us Federal Census New York, Chenango, McDonough
Nathaniel age 30, Day Labor at Stone Mill, b: Sep 1848
Emena age 30, Wife, b: Feb 1850
Ray L, age 11 Son, b: Jul 1889
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