After having fought a brief and courageous battle with an aggressive lung cancer, Mildred Ann Thornton Lindley, expired peacefully in her sleep late Sunday evening, May 26, 2019, and went to her heavenly home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. On the day of her death, several members of Mildred’s immediate family comforted, expressed their love and prayed for her. The Rev. Fran McCoy, Episcopal priest, officiated Holy Eucharist (Communion) and anointed her.
Mildred was born Feb. 20, 1942, in Columbus, Ohio, to the late Vance Ellis and Helen Marguerite (Hewitt) Thornton, of Jackson, Ohio. She attended Bloomfield Grade School and graduated in 1960, from Jackson High School, in Jackson. She graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan College, in Buckhannon, with a B.S. in home economics. Mildred was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority at Wesleyan College. Her first job was home demonstration agent in Preston County. The Extension Service work included writing and editing several educational publications and working with 4-H and other volunteer extension groups. Mrs. Lindley was a member of a committee that formed the first Consumer Education Association of West Virginia. While working for the WVU Extension Service, she completed her master’s degree in home economics education.
When her sons were young, she taught adult education classes, was a part-time reporter for Preston County for The Dominion Post newspaper, she was a substitute teacher and started a welcome wagon program in the Kingwood area. Later, she was employed by the Preston County Board of Education as a kindergarten and later a second grade teacher. She taught at elementary schools in Kingwood, Fellowsville, Valley and Rowlesburg. While teaching, she continued to take college courses and obtained an M.S. plus 45 hours. She was a past president and member of an Education Honorary, Delta Kappa Gamma Society, Gamma Chapter. While employed, she was a member of West Virginia Education Association, National Education Association and West Virginia Association of Young Children.
Mildred retired in 2002, after working 29 years as an educator in Preston County. She then became an adjunct professor and taught child development classes for two years at Fairmont State University. She enjoyed traveling, gardening, reading, calligraphy, hammered dulcimer music, yoga and walking. Bill and Mildred traveled to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Panama, Costa Rica, Canada, Ireland and Mexico. They toured most of the 50 states, including Hawaii and Alaska.
She enjoyed participating in senior learner OLLI classes in Morgantown. She was an officer and member of the Cranberry Garden Club and WVU Extension Preston County Master Gardeners. Mrs. Lindley was an active member of a committee that helped pass the 2009 school levy and then the school bond in 2010 elections. For over 15 years, she and an a assistant compiled the layout for the Preston County Buckwheat Festival program book. For over 30 years, she was a member and past secretary of the Hospice Care Corporation Board of Directors, now WV Caring. Mildred enjoyed making and sending photo cards to friends and family. In 2014, Mildred became a member of the Emeritus Club at West Virginia Wesleyan College.
After corresponding with Noriko Saito, her Japanese pen pal since high school, the two women met in Charleston in July 2013, when Noriko made a visit to the U.S. with some family members.
Mrs. Lindley was married Sept. 4, 1965, to William M. “Bill” Lindley II. They first met at Camp Horseshoe, in Parsons, and as Bill liked to say, “we met in the Monongahela National Forest.” They are the parents of two sons, Judd and Garth.
Mildred was an active member of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, in Kingwood. She was treasurer of the Episcopal Church Women, and earlier served as junior and senior warden for the church Vestry.
She is survived by her husband, William M. Lindley II; and sons, Dr. Juddson D. A. Lindley, M.D., and wife, Kristin, and Garth S.R. Lindley and his wife, Angela; grandchildren, Colette, Cecilia, Vance, Ella and Zachary Lindley; brother, George Ellis Thornton and wife, Margaret Fehrman Thornton, of Bucyrus, Ohio; nieces, Jennifer Brooke “J.B.” Thornton Taylor and husband, Mark, Amy Leigh Thornton Keller and husband, Ben, Anne Elizabeth Thornton Helmick and husband, Ian; and great-nieces and nephews, Audrey and Iris Helmick and Ben Jones.
Mildred was preceded in death by her parents, Vance and Helen Thornton.
Friends will be received at Rotruck-Lobb Kingwood Chapel, 295 South Price St., from 2-4 and 6-8 pm. Friday, and from 10 a.m. Saturday, June 1, until the 11 a.m. funeral service with the Rev. Fran McCoy officiating.
Cremation services will be under the direction of Rotruck-Lobb Crematory following the funeral.
Memorial donations may be made to the Fehrman-Thornton Scholarship Fund, West Virginia Wesleyan Advancement Office, 59 College Ave., Buckhannon, WV 26201. Put Fehrman-Thornton Scholarship Fund in the memo line.
Condolences: rotruck-lobb.com
