Thornton Family Genealogy

    Thornton, Clark Olmsted

Birth:     18 Jan 1917, Ghent Road (res.), Stow, Summit Co., OH
Baptism:   Stow Congregational Church, Stow, Summit Co., OH
Death:     25 Aug 2004, Northwood Lake (res.), Northport, Tuscaloosa Co., AL

Father:    Thornton, Charles Arthur (*1871 Green Twp., Summit Co., OH +1940 Akron, Summit Co., OH)
Mother:    Olmsted, Corabel Thornton (*1879 Edinburg, Johnson? Co., IN +1957)

Married    Klickmann, Orlena Mae Thornton (*1920 Caspar Drive (res.), Port Clinton, Ottawa Co., OH)
           2 Mar 1946, United Brethren Church, Port Clinton, Ottawa Co., OH, Sourced
Children:
    1. Thornton, William Clark (*1947 Peoples Hospital, Akron, Summit Co., OH)
    2. Thornton, Mary Louise Boothe (*1951 U.S. Army Hospital, Fort Belvoir, Fairfax Co., VA)
    3. Thornton, Thomas Lee (*1953 U.S. Army Hospital, Fort Belvoir, Fairfax Co., Virginia)
    4. Thornton, Ann Marie Field (*1956 Eglin AFB, Okaloosa Co., Florida)


Notes: 

College - University of Akron
BA Secondary Education, June 1940
Graduate school - George Washington U
MA School Administration, 1965
Graduate school - U of AL
PhD, Aug 1971
Met in New York City - Clark at a convention, Orlena a stewardess.
On meeting in the Pennsylvania Hotel, went downstairs to the "dance
pavilion" to the Les Brown Les Brown and the Band of Renown show with
a skinny 17-yearold singer, Doris Day.
Autobiography available digitally
Contact Tom Thornton, tomt@tlthornton.name
Q: Who are these?
Uncle Jim, (Chicago printer) had married Sadie (Sarah)
Then married Martha's caretaker


Texts: 

Newspaper article
Thornton Now First Lieutenant
High-Balls Transport Into Akron

Clark O. Thornton, formerly of Delivery, is
now a First Lieutenant in the Air Corps, he
said in a letter to the O'Neil-O-Gram last
week.  The promotion came on January 16th,
just two days before his birthday.

Clark wrote that he's quite a traveling man.
He is in the Troop Carrier Squadron, and the
work takes him all over the country.  "Take
the last eight days as an example," Clark said.
"On Monday I was in Memphis, Tuesday in
Detroit, Wednesday in Vincennes, Ind., and
George Field, Ill., Thursday back to my sta-
tion at Stuttgart, Ark., Friday in Little Rock,
Saturday in Memphis again and now here at
Pope Field!"

Last Saturday Clark enjoyed the thrill of
landing his big transport plane here in Ak-
ron to pick up a load of tires.  He had a date
with his girl, and a brief re-union with his
family.  Brags that his crew all had dates
within an hour after landing.  His plane's a
big twin motor job that's hauled many a jeep
as well as paratroopers.

At his new station he expects to do some
glider towing and some "paratroop dropping."
Clark's brother-in-law is John Smith in the
Credit Dept.
SOURCE: "O'neil's News," Feb 1993
Obituary
Colonel Clark Olmsted Thornton, PhD

Northport, AL | Col. Clark Thornton, 87, US Air Force, re-
tired, passed away quietly at his Northwood Lake home
Wednesday, August 25th, surrounded by his wife and loving
family.  Col. Thornton was born January 18, 1917, in Stow,
Ohio, fifth and youngest child of Charles Arthur and
Corabel Olmsted Thornton.  He graduated from the University
of Akron, obtained a Masters degree at George Washington
University and a PhD in Education Administration from the
University of Alabama.

Thornton joined the Army Air Corps before Pearl Harbor,
participating in four major airborne invasions including
D-Day.  He served during WWII in Africa and Europe with the
53rd Troop Carrier Squadron and as Air Advisor to 82nd
Airborne Division commander Maj. Gen. James Gavin.  He was
awarded ten major battle stars, five oak leaf clusters,
the Belgian Fourragere and the Dutch Lanyard.  He was a
command pilot of thirty years experience.  He had two tours
of duty in the Pentagon, one on the staff of the Secretary
of Defense and another with the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
receiving a Presidential Citation.  He served one year in
Korea with the ROK Air Force and three years with JUSMAG,
Greece.

Col. Thornton finished his thirty year career as the
Professor of Aerospace Studies (head of Air Force ROTC)
at the University of Alabama and was retired from military
service in 1970.  He was a member of the Retired Officers
Association, Kiwanis of Tuscaloosa and President of the
University Club.

Clark is survived by his wife of fifty-eight years, Orlena
"Klickie" of Northport, AL; son William (Jacky) of Saco,
Maine; daughter Mary (Edmund) Boothe of Augusta, GA; son
Thomas of Arlington, MA; and daughter Ann (John) Field of
Berwyn, PA; eight grandchildren: Brian (Jennifer Woda)
Thornton, Christine (Andy) Zeman, Cathy Boothe, James
Boothe, Gabriel Thornton, Colin (Jessica Morse) Thornton,
Elizabeth Field, Ashley Field and great grandchildren Maya
Woda Thornton and Milo Grady Thornton.  His surviving
sisters are Olive Smith of Akron, OH, and Bessie Offutt of
Wadsworth, OH.

Visitation will be held at Magnolia Chapel Funeral Home
(North), Friday, August 27th from 6 to 8 pm. Services will
be held at St. Mark United Methodist Church in Northport
at 2 pm on Saturday, August 28th.  Pallbearers will be
James Boothe, Dr. James Clark, Dr. John Dews, Jr., Eugene
Keller, Durward Powell, Gabriel Thornton and Dr. David
Weaver.  Honorary Pallbearers will be Dr. C. T. Sharpton,
Dr. Anand Pandy, Dr. Shelby Sanford, Dr. James R. Saxon,
Dr. Grant L. Strong and the Nurses and staff of the
Hospice of West Alabama.

Interment will be in Arlington National Cemetery at 9 a.m.
Wednesday, October 13th.

In lieu of flowers please send donations to Hospice of
West Alabama, 3851 Loop Road, Tuscaloosa, AL 35404, or
your favorite charity.
SOURCE: Tuscaloosa News, Thur 26 Aug 2004;
Akron Beacon Journal, Sat 28 Aug 2004; and
Washington Post, Sun 29 Aug 2004.
Interred in Grave 2603 Section 66 near Eisenhower, Bradley and
MacArthur drives at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington,
Arlington County, VA.