Deacon Thornton ministered in Shakopee for more than 20 years

Deacon Thornton ministered in Shakopee for more than 20 years

Deacon James Thornton Deacon James Thornton, a veteran of the U.S. Navy whose active ministry in the diaconate spanned more than 20 years in Shakopee, died Feb. 23 at age 95. A high school teacher in Minneapolis before retiring in 1989, Deacon Thornton and his late wife, Janice, raised five children in their 62 years of marriage. In addition to their children, Deacon Thornton is survived by 14 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Ordained …