Obituary of John Thornton

View Video Tribute John Austin Thornton was born in Elko, Nevada on December 16, 1991, the first son of Jeff and Tammy Thornton. His parents knew from the time he could crawl that John was a “country kid.â€? He would crawl to the front door and slap it with his open palm as his signal that he wanted to be let outside. The neighbors in the apartment complex gave him his first nickname “Tuffyâ€? because, when he was learning to walk, he would push an apple box around on the sidewalk in his bare feet. If he took a tumble, and he often did, he would just climb back up and try again. He never cried and he never gave up. The family moved back to the family farm in 1993. By this time, John’s love of everything mechanical was well established. It started with Thomas the Tank Engine and all trains, then monster trucks, lawn mowers, pickup trucks and anything John Deere. John was always up for a road trip and hated to be left behind. He spent hours riding in the pickup with Dad, his grandpas, Uncles Dean, Len, Fred and Raymond, Aunts Joan and Kristen or cousins Randy, Chris, Laurie, Nikki, Travis, Wendy and Chad or working with anyone who could be convinced to take him on the farm. John was lucky to have many special friends in his life-more than just his biological grandparents: special uncles and friends were adopted too. So in addition to Grandpa Ronald and Gordon, he also had Grandpa Nelson, Grandpa David and Grandpa Jim. He also had special babysitters in Aunt Nola, Cousin Nikki, Cousin Laurie and Amy Hilton. He was always up for a trip to the lake with his buddy Brett and his family, riding go-carts with Lane, tearing apart an engine with Cole, cleaning chicken houses with Matthew, branding with Chance, eating spaghetti with Jeremy, chasing pigs with Chase or a movie night with anyone or better yet.. .Everyone. At eight years old, John started his dairy herd with one cow that his Grandpa Thornton helped him buy. Que, his Brown Swiss calf, was better than a pet dog. When John sold his first steer, he bought his first John Deere: a huge riding lawn mower with a six-foot deck. He started mowing lawns for family members and neighbors. He took the small engine project for several years with all the buddies he could convince to try it, and then decided to move onto the tractor project in 2006, he took on the role as the small engines project leader with the help of his dad. He started his career in competitive sports at six years old with Tee-Ball and Pee Wee Wrestling, eventually choosing to specialize in Football and Basketball. He was proud to be a part of the Rush Pee Wee Basketball team. They won the league championship twice, and always went into every game intending to win.. His motto was “Leave it on the courtâ€? which means you’d better have nothing left when the game’s over or you didn’t give it all you had. John loved sports, but he loved practice more than the games. “Being with your friends, pushing each other to do your best, that’s what it’s really all aboutâ€? he’d say. In high school, John joined Future Farmers of America and was so proud to be a part of the outstanding Karval Chapter. He would take a position on which ever team needed a member for upcoming contests. He served in the FFA as Executive Committee person and Treasurer, and received the Chapter Star for Ag Business with his Lawn Care Business. A twelve-year member of the Karval 4-H, John started out as a pledge leader, was Jr. Vice President, historian, and Vice President twice, and had served this past year as the club President. He was selected to go on the Citizenship Washington Focus Trip in June 2008 and came home very excited about the experience. He also was a part of the teen exchange group and went on exchanges to Wisconsin and Texas. He was named the outstanding 4-Her in his club twice and in the county once. In 2006, John was baptized and became a member of the Blue Cliff United Methodist Church. When the youth group was formed in 2007, he quickly offered his house as the meeting place. John is survived by his parents, his sister Elizabeth Ann Thornton, and numerous exchange students who took on the role of brother or sister for a year, Grandparents Gordon and Ann Thornton, Grandfather Ronald Parker and many aunts, uncle’s cousins and friends. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 10:30 at the Karval Public School with Pastor Ben Wentworth, officiating. Visitation will be held from 3 - 7pm Monday August 18, 2008 at the Love Funeral Home Memorials are suggested to the John Thornton Memorial Fund in care of Karval Public School P.O. Box 5 Karval, CO 80823.