Susie Thornton

(From Ozark Funeral Home)

Beneath the unassuming exterior of the little, white haired lady, lied a fiercely competitive Scrabble player, a voracious reader and life-long proponent of learning, a prolific card and note writer, a serial hugger as well as a skilled cook and baker, but most importantly lied the humble heart of a faithful servant to her many friends, her loving family and her gracious Lord.

Bette Jean (Susie) Thornton, 84, of Noel, Missouri, flew away to be with her Father on August 24. She passed away at her home surrounded by caring family and guarded by her cherished dog Brewster.

A sawmiller’s daughter, Susie, was born January 12, 1942, on the west side of Jay, Oklahoma, in a small clapboard house to Everett and Bette Jo Hodges. Susie was drawn to the Lord at a very young age and asked to be taken to church regularly as a small child. Her calling to the Lord would form the spiritual foundation and nurture the love for Christ that would define her life.

In 1958, Susie would meet the second love of her life, Clifford Thornton, when she and three friends ran into the street to stop the new sophomore at high school who was cruising by on his Cushman Eagle scooter.

The couple would go on to marry August 25, 1962, and share 64 wonderful years together.

Following high school graduation, Susie attended Northeastern State College in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and became an elementary school teacher, a profession she loved that fit her natural gifts of compassion and ability to connect with young people.

After a move to New Mexico, Susie would continue teaching while supporting Cliff as he returned to school to study pharmacy. Following Cliff’s graduation and the start of his work in pharmacy, Susie would transition from teaching into a second career as homemaker, and most importantly, Mom.

Susie was a fervent believer that no one could raise her children better than her, and she excelled in raising the couple’s three children. Later, Susie would become an equally devoted grandmother and great-grandmother to many.

As Mom and grandmother, Susie had a knack for making special occasions memorable and, when possible, weaving in teachable moments with the activities. A favorite holiday tradition involved teaching her children, and later grandchildren, how to bake and decorate Christmas cookies. Each Christmas, Susie would also roundup all the grandchildren and take them to purchase Angel tree gifts for other children to help instill the value of giving.

Whether quick with a smile and hug or encouraging her grandchildren to participate in cooking holiday meals by teaching them how to roll out and bake biscuits, Susie always found ways to make her children and grandchildren feel included, valued and loved.

In 1978, following years of Cliff working in retail pharmacy, Susie supported her husband in purchasing a small, independent pharmacy in Noel, Missouri, a business she and Cliff would successfully operate for 30 years until Cliff’s retirement in 2008.

Beyond her roles as supportive spouse, homemaker and mother, Susie faithfully followed Christ and served as a life-long member of the United Methodist Church, where she would wear many hats. From teaching Sunday school classes and leading numerous Bible studies to serving as lay leader, Susie enthusiastically embraced serving the church.

Throughout her life, Susie would create multiple ministries in the church including the development of monthly community dinners, the creation of a Fifth-Sunday service designed to encourage lay participants to grow in their faith journey, and a hats and gloves community outreach to help serve those needing warm clothes during winter months.

However, one of the most rewarding roles Susie filled in the church occurred during Vacation Bible School each summer. For many years, Susie enthusiastically led the Bible story portion of VBS, which allowed her to incorporate the talents of many church members in helping to teach Biblical principles to VBS children.

In a similar vein, each Sunday, she would faithfully bring small snacks for her grandkids and hand them change to put in the children’s offering – a small but significant weekly reminder for the children on the importance of gratitude and giving back.

A mindset of learning, service, gratitude and Christian witness are all values evident in Susie’s rich life. In 1986 at the age of 44, Susie went back to college to pursue a nursing degree, in part a reflection of the importance she placed on education, but also as a way to help care for her ailing father who was battling cancer during that period.

Regardless of the roles she fulfilled or hats she wore, Susie lived a life that consistently reflected devotion to Christ through service to others, and she did so with an infectious smile, a warm and affectionate hug for any and all, and in a manner that made everyone feel valued and loved.

She will be dearly missed by the many who were blessed to have known her or received one of the thousands of personalized notes or letters of encouragement she wrote over the course of her life.

Susie is survived by her loving husband of 64 years, Cliff, and beloved Brewster; three children, Suzanne Elizabeth (Tim), Michael David (Angie) and Matthew Lee, all of the Noel area; seven grandchildren: Reid, Caleb, Wade, Kelsey, Hanna, Emily and Zoe; three great grandchildren: Cameron, Fletcher and Josiah; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Everett and Bette Jo Hodges, and two siblings, older brother Jim Hodges of Austin, Texas and twin brother Sonny Hodges of Pryor, Oklahoma.

The family will welcome friends and visitors Thursday, August 27, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at the Noel United Methodist Church. A celebration of life will be held on Friday, August 28, at 2:00 PM at the Noel United Methodist Church. Burial will follow at Noel Cemetery. Those honoring her life by serving as pallbearers are Reid Schmit, Wade Schmit, Hanna Prall, Caleb Thornton, Kelsey Dill, Emily Moore and Zoe Thornton. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to the Noel Cemetery Fund c/o Ozark Funeral Home. Arrangements are under the care of Ozark Funeral Home in Anderson, Missouri.