Evangelist Bernice Thornton, 68, of Cleveland died Sunday, July 11, 2010, at her residence.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday at Apostolic Faith Church with Elder Terry Jones officiating. Burial will follow in Westlawn Memorial Gardens in Cleveland.

Visitation for the public will be held from 1-5 p.m. Saturday and family hour will be held from 5-6 p.m. Saturday at Brinson Funeral Home.

Ms. Thornton was born September 15, 1941, to the late Cardell and Florida Wilson. She was married to the late L.T. Thornton Sr.

She attended school in the Leflore County School District. She later moved to Bolivar County and furthered her education at Ole Miss University in Oxford where she received her degree in Food Service Management.

She was employed in the Cleveland School System for 17 years as a cafeteria manager for Cleveland High School. After retiring she worked part-time as a bus driver for Bolivar County Headstart for eight years. She was a member of the Apostolic Faith Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Cardell and Florida Wilson; her husband, L.T. Thornton Sr.; and her daughter, Mamie Jones.

She is survived by her sons, Leamon Thornton, Leonard Earl Thornton, L.T. Thornton Jr., Bryan Thornton and Shawn Wilson-Thornton, all of Cleveland, Lester Thornton of Oxnard, Calif.; her daughter, Willie Mae Hardy of Cleveland; her brothers, Cardell Wilson, Jerry Wilson of Cleveland, Rick McKinley of Matawan, N.J., Rev. McArthur McKinley and Robert McKinley of Greenwood and Jesse Wilson of Itta Bena; her sister, Mary Pearl Harris of Chicago, Ill.; a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins.