Janet Thorne

Janet Marlene Thorne was born October 25, 1934, in a mining town, called Mt. Harris Colorado. Her parents were John Sr. and Nellie Ann Boggess. She was born the last of ten children, a coal miner’s daughter, and often playfully referred to as “the family caboose”.  Her brothers and sisters were Illinois, Nellie (Nella) Vee, Vernetta, Alton, Ruby, John (Jack) Jr. Glen Petty, Lois Odelle and Homer Herbert. As a young child she was responsible for taking her father’s lunch while he worked in the mines.  She adored her father, and it was a chance for her to visit him during the day during school breaks. Janet also enjoyed spending her summers with her Uncle Henry and Aunt Winnie in Kansas City, Kansas. Her Uncle and Aunt enjoyed her visits and spoiling her was always in the plans. Janet attended Whittier Elementary, Cole Junior High and graduated from Manual High School with her nephew Thomas Lee Dawson Jr.   Janet enjoyed teasing her nephew because she was only about two weeks older than him and his wife Lorine

As a single mom she attended Emily Griffith Opportunity School downtown Denver. Janet received a certification in typing and ranked top of her class. The school recommended Janet to the State of Colorado Health Department where she and another classmate name Arabella, were hired to work on the same day. The office was a janitorial closet in the basement that had two desks pushed together so that they faced each other. As the story goes the two would get the bulk of the work from the typing pool. One day one of the department heads was so impressed with the quality of his reports; “No Mistakes” he said. He personally decided to recognize Janet’s work.

Janet continued her work with integrity and with God’s help continued to move up until she retired earning the job title of Executive Assistant for the Colorado State Health Department’s Director, Dr. Thomas Vernon. Dr. Vernon admired Janet’s work ethics and was not afraid to seek her advice or leave her in charge in his absents. After retirement she volunteered to work at the YWCA Denver region teaching young single mothers how to cope with life’s challenges. Coaching them, telling them “If I can do it, you can too.”

Those left to cherish her memory include her sons, grandchildren, Jovan, Jared, Jasmine, Nicholas (deseased), Joshua; great - grandchildren, Kenidee, Janelle, Kambree, Jordan and Keedan Thorne; daughter in-laws, Joan and Rhea and a host of relatives and friends.