Teresa Gail Thornton was born on July 12, 1958 in Texas to Lillie B. Smith and Arthur Birgham. Teresa was educated in the Wichita Falls, TX School System and completed her High School education in 1976. She was baptized and accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior at an early age.

Teresa met the love of her life and was united in marriage to Carol Thornton on November 2, 1982. Together they raised two sons, Aaron and Darron. She moved to live and support her husband in his military career during an eight-year tour of duty in Aschaffenburg, Germany.

Teresa was awarded the "Molly Pitcher" award for her faithful and devoted service to the soldiers and their families during her time overseas. Upon her husband's military retirement, they moved to Topeka, Kansas in 1994 where she worked for the State of Kansas (KNI) for 23 years.

She loved cooking for her family and for local church groups, fashion modeling, dancing, traveling and homemaking for her family. Serving others was her calling and she was kind and generous to all she met. She will be missed by so many.

She is preceded in death by her father, Arthur Birgham Jr.; son, Garron Smith; sisters, Rose Smith and Doris H. Beamon; grandmother, Lillie Mae Turner; father-in-law, William H. Thornton Sr. and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Left to cherish her memory are her husband, Deacon Carol Thornton, Master Sergeant (Retired) U.S. Army (Topeka, KS); sons, Darron (Becki) Smith (Oakland, CA), Aaron Smith (San Francisco, CA); brothers, Michael Smith, Alvin (Jennifer) Johnson, Arthur (Earlene) Birgham (Wichita Falls, TX); sisters, Pastor Doris Smith, Cecelia Smith, Terry (Curtis) Jordon, Paula (Clifford) Brown, Mandalyn Birgham, Ann Birgham (Wichita Falls, TX); granddaughters, Arya Brooks (Istanbul, Turkey), Noelle Hively-Izon Smith (Oakland, CA); mother-in-law, Lois Thornton (Wakefield, VA); brothers-in-law, William H. (Paula) Thornton Jr., (Dinwiddie, VA), Raymond M. (Lorraine) Thornton (Petersburg, VA), Toney L. (Shena) Thornton (Petersburg, VA); sisters-in-law, Marion"Cookie" Thornton (Petersburg, VA) and Paige L. Thornton also of (Petersburg, VA).