Albert N (deceased) & Mildred Thorne

Wanda & Ray Herrington

Visit the   Herrington Ranch, Inc.

Albert (Abbie) William Thorne

Raised in the Panhandle of Texas

Joan Lela (Herrington) Thorne

Raised in the Sand Hills of Nebraska

Albert (Abbie) as his Grandmother Thorne so fondly nicknamed him, was raised on a ranch just  south west of Canadian Texas.  Except for two years that the family spent in Southwest Missouri. He grew up on a horse roping calves not for pleasure but for the necessity of doctoring.  He learned early on how to take care of his horses and cattle.  He graduated from Canadian High School in 1962 and graduated Pi Kappa Alpha at Texas Tech in Lubbock Texas.  He taught Science and Ag at Canadian High School after graduation.  He returned to help his Grandfather William Quincy and father Albert Nealy Thorne operate the Thorne Ranch.  They ran stocker feeder cattle for many years and fed in several feed yards in the panhandle of Texas.  They were partners in several feedlot operations in the area.   They ran wheat cattle around Hereford Texas and also farmed wheat.  He married and to this union three children were born; Brian Thomas, Whitney Grace, and Jeffrey Albert Thorne.  In 1963 they expanded Thorne Ranch to include a ranch in northeast Oklahoma.  Today, that ranch in Adair, is home to Abbie where he is involved with a  Purebred and Club Calf Cattle Operation called; A. W. Thorne Land & Cattle, Inc. with his wife,  Joan.

 Joan, pronounced (Joann) grew up on the Herrington Ranch beside a lake called Brown Lake in North Central Nebraska.  She attended a one room school house in Holt County until 1964 when her Grandfather Edgar Elmer Herrington passed away.  Her parents, Ray and Wanda Herrington and brothers, Thomas Lee and William Ray (Bill) then moved up to the home place.  The Herrington's were very involved with their Hereford cattle, Rodeo and 4-H.  Joan and her brothers showed Hereford steers in 4-H stocker feeder classes.  She enjoyed riding and breaking her horses and spent countless hours horse back.  She graduated in 1969.  The largest class ever to graduate from Bassett Nebraska, Rock County High School.    She married and raised four daughters, (twins) Shawna Rae and Shareen Kae, Delynn Dawn and Diann Jo.   She was, Office Manager for the  Bassett Livestock Auction for several  years, a 4-H Club Leader, Roping Club Secretary, and Booster Club Officer.  Always involved with kids, cattle and horses.  She accepted a position with the Braunvieh Association of America in Lincoln, NE in 1995.   Abbie was on the board of directors of the BAA and that is where they met and the rest is history.