Class Reunion Bio & Obituary

Spouse: Dean Thornberry (married 1963)

Children: Troy

Education:

Cedar Falls Teacher’s College, Sioux Falls, S. Dakota,

University of Iowa

Occupations:

Taught English and Latin in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Office work at a Marriott Hotel in Denver, Colorado

Did a lot of bookwork for Dean’s Burger Palace Operations in various locations including

two in Iowa City down town (where the Iowa Theater used to be) and Boyrum Street). Dean and Charlene owned and operated Maxies for a few years.

Hobbies and Interests:

Bridge, reading, plants

Charlene died just a few days before our 40^th class reunion, October 4, 2000.

Source: Iowa City High School Fiftieth Reunion

Obituary

Charlene Kay Thornberry, 58, of 1202 Oakes Drive, died Wednesday, October 1, 2000, at her home, following complications from metastasis of bladder cancer.

Services will begin at 10 a.m. Monday, October 9, at First United Methodist Church in Iowa City with Rev. Bob Dean officiating. Burial will be in Memory Gardens Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.

Mrs. Thornberry was born December 12, 1941, in Birmingham, Alabama, to Charles and Ethel (Hills) Thrasher. She graduated from Sioux Falls College in Sioux Falls, S.D. She taught English and Latin in Sioux City. She also worked as secretary/treasure for Thor, Inc. She married Dean Thornberry on August 24, 1963, at First United Methodist Church.

She was a volunteer at the Salvation Army, the Iowa City Food Bank, VNA and the Cancer Survivors Organization. She was active in fund raising for the American Cancer Society and the annual Cancer Walk. She also was an anonymous philanthropist for many causes. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church. Survivors include her husband; one son; Troy Thornberry and his wife, Kristen Kusmierek of Ann Arbor, Michigan; and one brother Dennis Thrasher of Iowa City. Her parents died earlier.

Source: Iowa City Press Citizen, Iowa City, IA 2 October 2000, pg 4