Verina L. Thornton

Verina passed away on August 13, 2025, at the age of 96.  She was born on September 4, 1928, in Fowler, Michigan, to Milton (Bud) and Lulu May Rice.  The family moved to DeWitt, Michigan, when she was 12 years old for her father’s job with the postal service.  Verina graduated in 1945 in a class of 20 students from DeWitt High School in DeWitt, Michigan.  She married her husband, Hazen, in 1951 and they started their life together on a farm in Eagle, Michigan.  In 1955, they moved to the south end of Lansing where she continued to live until moving to East Lansing with her daughter in 2021.  She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Lansing, a Lifetime member of the VFW Auxiliary Post 3727 Holt, Michigan, and was a member of the Eagles Aerie 3734 Holt, Michigan.  Although it was hard for her to relax as indicated by her nicknames “The Warden” and “Slavedriver”, she had several hobbies and enjoyed many forms of dancing, including square dancing, ballroom dancing, and line dancing, as well as quilting, playing cards, watching football and basketball games, boating, swimming, and figure skating.  Verina worked for the State of Michigan, retiring after 35 years.  She has dedicated her entire life to her family as well as to the service of others.

Surviving are her children, Arlene (Larry) Lee of Hendersonville, NC; Dorina Thornton of East Lansing, MI; and DeKevin (Nancy) Thornton of Petoskey, MI; grandchildren, Wendy (John Henry) Chambers of Atlanta, GA, Heidi (Adrea Jehnig) Parker of Portland, ME, Nicole (Andrew) Powell of Wilmington, NC, Caleb Lee of Columbia, MD, Kelsey (Jeff) Messinger of Galloway, OH, and Spencer (Jenny Mayer) Thornton of Ankeny, IA; great-grandchildren, Abigail Gravlin, Brooks Powell, Alice Messinger, and Layken Mayer-Thornton.  She also leaves a special friend; Mary Dunn, who helped care for her. She was preceded in death by her parents; her son, Daryl Thornton; her brother, John “Jack” Rice; her sister-in-law, Jeannette Rice; her sister, Colleen Rice; and her ex-husband, Hazen Thornton.

The funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, August 23, 2025, at the Estes-Leadley Greater Lansing Chapel, 325 W. Washtenaw St. Lansing. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 6-8:00 p.m. Friday, August 22, 2025, as well as one hour prior to the service on Saturday.  Burial will be at Deepdale Memorial Gardens, Lansing, Michigan following the service.  A luncheon will follow at DeWitt Township Community Center at 16101 Brook Road, Lansing, Michigan. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to your favorite charity in memory of Verina.