STERLING – Emma Alberta Tornow, 97, of Sterling, formerly of Walnut and Tampico, died Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012, at Sterling Pavilion. She was a telephone operator at General Telephone in Walnut, and worked at Admiral Corp. in Dixon and Peerless Level in Walnut.

She was born July 18, 1915, in Burnside, the daughter of Ralph and Laura Jane (Evans) Oldham. She married Arlie Tornow on Dec. 20, 1941, in Princeton. He preceded her in death on Jan. 11, 1983. She was a former member of First Christian Church of Walnut.

Survivors include two sisters, Alta Sargent of Macomb and Ada Plummer of Sterling; and numerous nieces and nephews.