Edna Mae Thorn

Edna Mae Thorn, of Natchitoches, Louisiana, was born in Wyanet, Illinois, on November 11, 1928. She died peacefully on Monday, August 20, 2018. Mrs. Thorn taught Spanish, history, social studies, civics and speech at Natchitoches Central High School for 26 years, from 1969 to 1995. Both before and after her time at NCHS, she also taught in Illinois, Texas, and Alexandria and Campti, Louisiana. She retired from professional teaching in 2003 but continued shaping young minds, focusing on her grandchildren. Mrs. Thorn was a graduate of Western Illinois University with a B.S. in education, social sicence major, speech and spanish minors, and received her M.Ed. from Texas Wesleyan College. A lifelong learner, she also racked up 95 graduate hours from State University of Iowa and Northwestern State University. Always a trailblazer, she proudly served in the United States Air Force from 1951 to 1956, active duty in the Air Weather Service.She taught generations of Natchitoches teens. She was loved and feared, often by the same pupils, and she remembered the names and stories of countless former students until the very end. Edna Thorn was devoted. She was devoted to her children, to her grandchildren, to her students, and to her dogs, Pierre and Tia. She loved to read. She used to say that she ate books for breakfast, almost literally, because she most often read in the very early morning before her work day began. She loved bad jokes and talking to strangers. She will be remembered by her family as wonderfully loyal, stubborn, quick-witted, and always full of mischief. Her grandchildren will tell their children about her so that her powerful spirit and presence will live on. Mrs. Thorn is survived by her daughters, Mary Karen Batson and husband David of Natchitoches, Louisiana, and Laura Marie Apatini of Mandeville, Louisiana, her grandchildren Catherine Lynn Batson, Anna Gail Batson, Olivia Mae Apatini and Paul James Apatini, her sister Irene Raper of New York and by her dear friends and adopted family members James and Faye Evans.  Mrs. Thorn was preceded in death by her parents, Howard Benningfield and Mary Eva England Benningfield of Wyanet, Illinois, her sister Gladys Benningfield Ill, and her brother Howard Junior Benningfield.A memorial service for Edna Mae Thorn will be at 3 pm on Friday, August 24, 2018, at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home with Bro. Buster Jordan officiating. The family will receive friends from 2 pm until service time on Friday, August 24, 2018, at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home.The family would like to thank the staff of Courtyard of Natchitoches and Hospice of Natchitoches. Mrs. Thorn requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Natchitoches Central High School Orchestra. Donations can be made at:  gofundme.com/edna-thorn-memorial-fund