Edmund Francis Thornton, 80, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 18, 2023; surrounded by his loving family after a long battle with cancer.

Ed was born on June 5, 1942 to Edmund Thornton Sr. and Frances (Smith) Thornton in Rochester, MN. He grew up on the family farm near Zumbro Falls and later near Lake City, MN. Ed attended country school near the farm in Lake City and graduated from Lincoln High School in Lake City, MN in 1959. He attended the University of Minnesota- St. Paul Campus where he was a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity while earning a Bachelor of Science in Economics in 1963.  After college, Ed returned to the area and farmed alongside his Dad. On October 24, 1965, Ed married the love of his life, Carol Ann Kreye at St. Felix Catholic Church in Wabasha, MN. They continued to farm near his parents on the family farms for almost sixty years. Ed also sold seed corn in the region and occasionally drove for Bud Meyer Trucking delivering flour in the winter.  He was also a member of the US Army Reserves in the pre-Vietnam Era, based at the Army Reserve 544th Ordinance Company – Wabasha, MN.

Over the years, Ed was active in many organizations. He served on the Alliance Bank Board for many years, was a member of the Wabasha County Soil & Water Conservation, and a long term member the Wabasha Co. Cattlemen's Association. He was a member of St. Marys of the Lake Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, the Lake City Sportsman's Club, and the American Legion. The last 20 years, the couple spent winters at home in Surprise, Arizona where they enjoyed the warm weather and visited family and friends.

Ed is survived by his wife Carol Thornton, Lake City, MN; his two daughters, Joan (Mark) Willers, Lake City, MN and Sarah Thornton, Henderson, NV; three sons, Thomas Thornton, Lake City, MN, Douglas (Nicole) Thornton, Henderson, NV, and Daniel Thornton (Shelley Richmond), Glendale, AZ; and his five grandchildren, Cole (Courtney) Willers, Taylor Willers, Brooklyn, Logan and Mason Thornton; one brother, John (Maria Luisa) Thornton, Garden City, KS. He was preceded in death by his parents and one infant brother.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 25, 2023 at St. Marys Of The Lake Catholic Church in Lake City, MN, with Father Matthew Fasnacht officiating. Visitation will be held from 4 – 8 p.m. at Schleicher Funeral Homes, Lake City Chapel on Wednesday, May 24, 2023 and one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Lake City, MN.

A special thank you to Mayo Hospice for their attentive care in his final days.