Trevor R. Thornton

Trevor R. Thornton age 41 life-long resident of Osborne, Kansas passed away at the Osborne County Memorial Hospital on Thursday February 6th.  He was born to Keith and Brenda (French) Thornton on December 22, 1978.  He was a 1997 graduate of Osborne High School.    Trevor was the lucky middle child.  He has a big brother Brandon (Buck) Thornton and his little sister (Boogs) Megan Thornton Schoen. On June 8, 2002 Trevor was united in marriage to Keri Ann Cordill.  Trevor was a long time employee of the Kansas Department of Transportation.  At the time of his death he was the Highway Maintenance Supervisor for the Osborne sub area.

Growing up Trevor spent his summers on the Sarver place with his Uncle Lynn and Aunt Jacque.  He loved being on the farm taking care of the cattle and the crops.  He also liked coming in to town for breakfast every morning with his uncle Lynn.  This started a life-long love for all things farming.  When he wasn’t helping uncle Lynn he was riding around the countryside with both uncle Lynn and his uncle Billy.

Trevor was lucky to have the Eilert family as his second family.  He spent lots of time with Jim and Deb and their three sons Jason, Judd and Josh.  In Trevor’s high school years he also became friends with Kirk Mans, Jared Schurr and many others we are surely forgetting.  There were many nights the boys spent riding around the country side drinking their favorite beverages and they might have ruined a few pickup trucks along the way.  We’ll never tell.  Trevor also introduced his little sister Megan to the wonders of Vera’s in Hunter.

In the late 90’s Jared and Trevor went and watched Jared’s brother race a Crazy Cruiser.  It just so happened that uncle Lynn had an old Monte Carlo just sitting around.  They turned that Monte into a cruiser and spent many nights having fun and taking the checkered flag.  They got so good that someone from Nebraska claimed their race car.  We’ll never know how they got that car home without the hood and trunk pins.  From the cruiser Trev moved onto racing a hobby stock and eventually a stock car.  Trevor and Keri spent many nights with Brian, Shan, Tracy, Lacey and Shaylon Holloway at the Minneapolis Raceway and other area tracks.  Trevor loved every minute of being on a racetrack and all the people that he and Keri met.  One of his dreams was to race at the Boone Speedway Super Nationals.  In 2009 he fulfilled that dream.  While he didn’t make the big dance like his brother in law Brady he had a tremendous amount of fun trying.  Trevor’s love of racing extended to his brother Buck who raced a sport compact.  One day Trevor’s brother cut the gas line in his sport compact  and drove from his home in Nebraska to Osborne so that his brother could fix it.  Trevor’s nephews and niece in Nebraska are carrying on the Thornton racing tradition by racing go karts.

On November 17, 2008 one of the greatest things to ever happen to Trevor and Keri was born, Kenley Ann Thornton better known as Squirrel.  Trevor took to the role of daddy immediately as he was a natural.  He was quick to get up in the night to help and in fact Kenley would only sleep at night for her daddy.

April 1, 2014 brought another blessing to the family with the addition of Tucker Ray Thornton better known as Willis P.  Tuck arrived into the family with red hair and his dad’s tenacity.  With the addition of Tucker, Trevor’s racing career came to a close and the family started camping.

Once Trevor and Keri purchased their camper it started a chain reaction.  Pretty soon Brenda and Keith had a camper, Megan and Brady had a camper, Sheri and Wig purchased a camper, Cari and Rob purchased a camper and finally the last hold outs Judd and Hanna purchased a camper.  Any summer weekend you could find the ENTIRE group at Waconda Lake.  While at the lake Trevor spent many hours fishing and boating with his nieces and nephews.  Trevor and his brother in law Brady spent many a day fishing for catfish and throwing out chum!

Trevor loved harvesting crops, it didn’t matter what the crop was he was in the thick of it helping to bring it in.  In his early years he helped uncle Lynn.  From there he helped Keith Brooks for several years.  In 2007 Trevor started helping Loy and Kathy Willson on their farm.  With the passing of Loy, Trevor helped Kathy prepare their farm for new owners and move her to South Dakota.  In 2016, Trevor started helping Sheldon and Nolan Remus.  The last few years of his life he made many new friends helping them.  He especially loved going with Nolan to Salina.

Trevor was preceded in death by Keri’s fathers Sherd Cordill and Larry Droppleman, his grandpa Leland and grandma Noreen Thornton, his grandpa Steve Ballard, his grandpa Dick French and his aunt Bobi Jarret.

Trevor leaves behind to mourn his passing his wife Keri and his daughter Kenley and son Tucker of the home. His parents Keith and Brenda Thornton of Osborne.  His mother-in-law Judy Droppleman of Osborne.  His brother Buck Thornton wife Paige and Braydon, Avari and Reid of Nebraska City, Nebraska.  His sister Megan Thornton Schoen husband Brady and Tyler, Jorden and Cambri of Downs, Kansas.  Sister in law Sheri Conway and husband Wig and Felicity, Stasha and Bryan. Grandma Jeani and husband Rex Hyde of Osborne.  Grandma Alice French of Osborne.  His uncles Billy Thornton and Lynn Thornton of Osborne, his uncle Bo and aunt Linda French of Osborne, his aunt Lynn French of Salina, Kansas his aunt Jacque Thornton of Larned, Kansas his uncle Allen and Aunt Karen of Cawker City, Kansas, his aunt Vickie and uncle Dale Hopson of Council Bluffs, Iowa and a host of cousins and many many friends.

Visitation will be at the United Christian Church, Osborne, Sunday, February 9th from 4-8 p.m. with family present from 6-8 p.m. Funeral Service will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, February 10th at the church with interment following at Covert Cemetery, Osborne. Dress will be casual, If you show up in a suit Keri will send you home! Memorials may be made to Thornton Children’s Educational Fund.