GUY EARL THORNTON, son of Sidney Davis Thornton and Florence Putney, was born in Oakdale, Nebraska on May 7, 1886. He had one sister, Agnes, and four brothers, William, Sidney, Ray and Donald. A younger brother, Alfred, died in infancy. When he was a small boy his family moved to Neligh. His childhood was a happy one. After he graduated from High School, he attended Morningside College in Sioux City where he earned an “M” playing left end on their football team. He returned to Neligh and married Mattie Fannon on June 10, 1910. They had five children: Florence, Gretchen, Benson, Janis and Phyllis. Guy served two terms as county treasurer. He studied law and became a lawyer. He died of a heart attack in July 1942.
MATTIE
BARRETT WHITE FANNON was born in Clarinda, Iowa on November 2, 1884, the
tenth child of Benjamin and Josie West White. Josie White was a decendent of Benjamin West, the painter and
Joseph West, patriot. Benjamin White
was a stage driver. Mattie was about
four when her father died. Josie took
her four children to Clearwater, Nebraska. Times were hard and she could not take care of the children so she allowed
them to be adopted. Mattie was
adopted by Jules and Lydia Fannon of Clearwater. The Fannons operated a store in Clearwater. Jules was Clerk of the District Court in Lincoln. During this time, Mattie had completed her
education in Clearwater and finished her schooling by graduating from Lincoln
High School in 1905. The family moved
to Royal, Nebraska where they operated a hotel. Mattie met and married Guy Earl Thornton in Sioux City, Iowa on
June 10, 1910. She had five children:
Florence, Gretchen, Benson, Janis and Phyllis. After her husband’s death, Mattie moved to live with her
daughter in Washington, DC. Later she
moved to California where she spent the remainder of her life. She died in San Diego on July 28,
1972.
Source Unknown: Originally submitted for this website in Dec 2007