Oct. 8, 1910 to Jan. 4, 2007
Emma Kate Thorburn, a past resident of Clearlake Oaks, passed away on Jan. 4, 2007. Born Emma Kate Postlethwaite into a family of nine on Walney Island in England, she married a “Scotsman,” Alexander Thorburn and together they raised a daughter and a son while Alex worked as a riveter in the Walney Island Shipyard. The family immigrated to the U.S. in the early 50s but returned to England a short time later, leaving their grown children, June and Max to enjoy the American way of life. When Emma and Alex would visit America, they would stay in “The Keys” in Clearlake Oaks, enjoying the friendly, small town life on the waterfront while watching the grandchildren grow. They became as “local” as the Oaks residents, making lifelong friendships with folks that Emma would continue to ask about 40 years later!
Emma stood a commanding 4” 10″ tall. She was a “proper” English Lady, wearing a knee-length dress every day of her life. She had endless energy and was a staunch advocate of working hard and keeping healthy. In fact, she was rarely if ever sick during her 97 years! Her secret was simply “eat right and keep warm and busy,” and she didn”t hesitate to remind the family members, “Put on your cardigan and cap or you”ll catch a cold!”
She was a brilliant conversationalist in the world of business, reminding us that it didn”t matter whether you were the owner of a vegetable stand or the president of IBM, you give 100 percent to your job every day and make sure that every customer is happy. Her business advice and life experiences offered an endless treasury of common sense lessons and words to live by.
Emma was preceded in death by her husband, Alex in 1976 and her son, Max Thorburn in 1997.
She is survived by her daughter, June Lewis and husband, Orin of Clearlake Oaks; daughter-in-law, Patsy Thorburn of Clearlake Oaks; grandchildren, Cathy (Steve) Wilson of Clearlake, Robert (Kim) Thorburn of Clearlake Oaks, Melody (Scott) De Leon of Clearlake Riviera, and Scott Thorburn of Medford, Ore. She is also survived by five great-grandchildren, Courtney, Ryan, Jessica, Joe and Max, all of Lake County.
With all Emma had to offer, we keep a particular quote close to our hearts and minds at all times, with a sweet reminder of the strong English accent she spoke with:
“As long as we have our health, we”ll have another day to make merry!”
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(Published in the Record-Bee on Saturday, January 13, 2007.)
