Joann Thornton, 66, passed away peacefully at her home on September 19, 2018. It is believed a lack of Lipton Iced Tea and coffee is responsible for her closing her eyes permanently. She left behind various items to her daughters, most notably many of her crocheted items. If you are expecting a baby anytime soon and in need of a blanket, or need a hat for winter weather in summer in Kentucky, feel free to stop by and pick one up.
This is not an ad for standup comedy, but an obituary for a great woman, mom and Nana. She was loved by all that met her. Born on July 12, 1952, in Danville, KY to the late Buddy Junior and Geraldine Ravencraft, she leaves behind a somewhat dysfunctional family that she was very proud of. She was world-renowned for her lack of patience, particularly when it involved waiting in drive-thru for ice cream. In fact, her level of pure sweetness is a direct correlation to the amount of sweets she ate.
She always told you the truth, even if it wasn’t what you wanted to hear. She had a knack for never leaving the house without putting on her face. In her list of last wishes, she informed us to “Don’t forget my wig and eyebrows,” complete with smiley face .
You were cursed if you cursed around her. As young children, she put the fear of God in us when we had to pass gas and were forced to use the word “fizzle”. This was reiterated to us in her last few days. Really you ask? Yes, really.
Her words of encouragement, wisdom, and sometimes comfort, kept us in line and taught us “the school of hard knocks”. She made sure we understood “if you make your bed hard, you have to lie in it.”
Our life of fried chicken as we know it will never be the same. To this day, we believe that she was in cahoots with Colonel Sanders.
She loved to laugh and have fun, but more importantly she touched everyone she met. She will be greatly missed and we love her to the moon and back.

She is predeceased by her parents Buddy Junior and Geraldine Anderson Ravencraft, and a son, Jerry Wayne Bodner. She is survived by her husband, Walter Arnold Thornton and the late Ronnie Wayne Bodner; two daughters, Shelia Bodner, Stacy Lynn (Derek) Storie; a step-son, Jeremy Thornton; a step-daughter, Crystal Thornton; two sisters Brenda Wilson and Janice Sinkhorn; a granddaughter, Hannah Bodner (Jacob) Miller; two step-grandchildren, Montana Thornton and Noah Thornton.
The funeral service will be at 1 p.m., Saturday, September 22, 2018 at First Christian Church in Junction City. Rev. John Westerfield will officiate. Pallbearers will be Ricky Gibson, Gary Phillips, Lanny Coulter, Archie Coffman, David Belcher, David Chandler, Gary Denson, Steve Lynn, Raymond Float and Brad Twilley. Burial will be in Junction City Cemetery. Visitation will be after 6 p.m., Friday, September 21, 2018 at First Christian Church in Junction City. Memorial donations are suggested to American Cancer Society.