John was 24 years of age when he left for a mission to Great Britian, serving until 1885. After his release he was put in charge of 313 converts who were emi¬grating to Utah. Sixteen returning missionaries increased the party to a total of 329. The party sailed from Liverpool, 29 August 1885, arrived in New York City 8 September, and in Salt Lake City, 14 September. While serving his mission, John had seen a picture of Josephine King, sister to William H. King, a fellow missionary. Upon his return home the two became acqu¬ainted and were married in 1888. William H. King became a United States Senator. Josephine King was born in 1866 in Fillmore, Utah, a daughter of William and Josephine Henry King. A short six years after their marriage, Josephine died, le¬aving John with three small children, Norma, Mattie and William, to care for. In 1900 John W. Thornley and Hyrum Stewart formed a partnership and acquired range land that extended from Wheeler Basin (now Snow Basin) in Weber County, to Arthur's Fork in Hardscrabble Canyon, Morgan County. This partnership was amicably dissolved about 1920 and the range land divided. One year later, 1901, John Married Nora Nelson (Bonnemort) and the couple had four children: Donald and Doris (twins), Melba and Alice. Donald died as an inf¬ant. Nora Nelson was born in 1875 in Ibapah, Utah, a little settlement about 70 miles south of Wendover. Her parents were James and Mary Dunlop Nelson. James was from Norway and Mary was a Scottish lass. When Nora was about one year of age her father died and her mother later ma¬rried Howard Bonnemort. The family moved to Kaysville where Nora attended school and church. She was known as Nora Bonnemort. She became a fine pianist, playing frequently on programs and at Church. She began teaching piano lessons, riding horseback, sidesaddle, to the homes of her students where she taught them the fine art of piano playing. John and Nora's daughters became fine musicians, and as a stringed group, accompanied by their mother, they became known as the Thornley Trio, playing for numerous programs between 1920 and 1940. John was active in Church and Civic affairs. He served as a Counselor in the Layton Bishopric, was twice Mayor of Kaysville, served three terms in the Utah House of Representatives and one term as a United States Senator. The Bonnemort family had often been visitors to the Mountain Green area for fishing and camping. So when Nora married John, it was natural for her to enjoy his kind of life in the mountains and its subsequent kinship with nature. John had grown up loving the great outdoors and appreciating the beauties of nature. 203