Verlena Thornton was born on April 15, 1931, in Little Rock, Arkansas, to the Reverend Aaron Thornton and Louise Wilson Thornton. She was the fifth daughter born into a family of seven girls and one son.

Verlena attended schools in Little Rock, Arkansas, and graduated from Dunbar High School. She completed additional training in clerical studies after high school.

After completing her clerical studies, she moved to Cleveland, Ohio, with her sister Louise and William McCastle to assist in caring for and raising her nephew, Larry McCastle, for a season.

Verlena was married twice.

Her first marriage to James Baker produced a daughter, Brenda. Several years after their divorce, she married a second time to Watson Roland Randall. To this union, another daughter, Pamela Joyce, was born.

When that marriage dissolved, Verlena was left to raise her two daughters alone – and she did an amazing job. Both of her daughters were raised in church and came to know Jesus in a personal way, each having their own individual testimony. Her daughter Pam later married and had a son, Eric Speigner Jr., whom Verlena loved with all her heart. Eric also came to know Jesus and has his own personal testimony.

One of Verlena’s greatest accomplishments occurred in her professional career. She was hired to work for the federal government using her clerical skills. As her work continued, her supervisor noticed her excellent efficiency and methodical approach. She was invited to apply for the position of Manager of the Army/Navy Accounts Receivable Department – a position for which several people applied. Each candidate was presented with the same set of problematic situations and asked to come up with solutions. Verlena ultimately provided the best resolutions and was hired as manager of the entire department.

Within several months, she implemented systems and procedures that transformed the department from operating in the red to a well-oiled, efficient operation. The transformation was so remarkable that she received personal commendations and awards from then-Vice President Dick Cheney of the United States of America during a special ceremony.

Due to her accomplishments, she was chosen to travel the country on two-week, all-expenses-paid intervals to train Army/Navy offices nationwide – from Boston, Massachusetts, to Atlanta, Georgia, to Los Angeles, California, and Columbus, Ohio. Her final responsibility before retirement was writing a Systems and Procedures Manual for the department nationwide.

Verlena took early retirement at the age of 58 and was able to live a comfortable life until she passed away at the age of 94. She was truly one of the “Hidden Figures” in American Black history — a woman who quietly accomplished so much that few people knew of.

Verlena was also an efficient housekeeper, as her home was always clean and orderly. She often said, “Everything has its place, and there’s a place for everything. If not, throw it away – it doesn’t belong here.” Verlena was an excellent cook, known for many beloved Southern dishes. Most Sundays were a testament to wonderful dinners with special desserts such as lemon meringue pie, coconut cake, and peach cobbler. A few of her favorite side dishes were always collard greens and cornbread. On special occasions, homemade yeast rolls or German chocolate cake were her specialties.

We are forever grateful for the many life lessons we learned about “true love.” One of the sayings that best exemplifies Verlena’s life is, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” One of Verlena’s favorite flowers was the rose 🌹, and her favorite color was red. How appropriate that the red rose exemplifies her life. The phrase “The rose is a beautiful flower, and yet it has thorns” is a metaphor for the idea that beauty and difficulty are often intertwined – that even the most wonderful things in life can have challenges or hardships. “The Rose” represents beauty, love, and desirable goals, while the thorns symbolize the struggles, pain, and challenges one must face to achieve or maintain them. This concept beautifully applies to her life.