Leona
L. Thorne
(1859-1948)
Naomi "Leona" L. Thorne was born in 1859 in either Ohio or in Bourbon, Marshall County, IN, the daughter of Jacob and Amy (Minerd) Thorne. She never married, and devoted her life to her profession of public education.
As
a young girl, Leona migrated with her parents and siblings to Chicago. The Windy
City's bustling Haymarket Square is seen here in a rare old photographic
postcard.
She was listed as a public school teacher in the federal censuses of 1900 and 1910, and as a public school principal in the census of 1920.
In 1900 and 1910, Leona made her home with her mother on Vincennes Avenue in Chicago.
In a letter written in 1935, about a cousin's wedding, Leona said: "The observations of an 'old maid' - the disposition is about the most important item in a happy marriage."
Circa 1935, Leona resided at 4531 Woodlawn Avenue in Chicago. Her brother Will Thorne and sister Annette "Nettie" Blood are thought to have lived at the same address at that time. In the heart of the Great Depression, she drew her income from the rental properties she owned. A letter of hers' of that era stated:
We are all praying for better times but where they are coming from nobody seems to know. Our apartments are all rented, but the rents are too low - to satisfy us. The renters probably think it's all right. You see it makes a difference "whose ox" is being gored.
In 1948, after the death of her half-brother Corwin Tilbury, Leona learned that she was named in the will. Corwin's bequest was for her to receive 40 percent of the assets in his estate, which resulted in a payment to her of close to $3,000. At the time, she was still living at the Woodlawn Avenue address with her sister Nettie.
Leona is believed to have passed away at the age of 89 on Dec. 6, 1948, in Chicago. More details will be added here when learned.
Copyright © 2002-2003, 2008 Mark A. Miner