Obituary for Rev. Thelma Thomas (Watson)
Rev. Thelma Thomas, age 85 years, 5 months, and 24 days, passed away Monday, January 13, 2020 at the Jean Waddle Care Center in Somerset, Kentucky.
Funeral services were Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 1:00 pm at the Whitley City Church of God with Bro. Bruce Dixon and Bro. Ryan Wells officiating. Burial was in the Kidd Cemetery.
She was born July 20, 1934 in the Bald Knob community in McCreary County, Kentucky to Willie and Geneva (Cochran) Watson. She grew up near the coal camps of McCreary County, being the daughter of a coal miner and she was always a daddy's girl.
Thelma was a member of the South Pine Knot Church of God but also regularly attended Whitley City Church of God. Throughout her life she worked at many jobs such as working in a record store, assembling circuit boards in a factory, and selling Tupperware, Avon, and World Gifts. She even was a truck driver, traveling the country with Homer for 4 or 5 years. But her favorite job of all was spreading the gospel and being a mom, mamaw, and grammy.
Thelma was an ordained minister and had served as pastor and assistant pastor at many church and as an evangelist. She could always be counted on to do whatever was needed at the church from teaching Children's Church and Vacation Bible School to being a shoulder to lean on. As an outreach of her ministry, she had a radio ministry where she was able to reach a great number of people and had a volunteer ministry at the nursing home in Pine Knot and other areas. She had also volunteered as leader for Campfire Girls and Cub Scouts, she was known for her volunteer efforts.
In her spare time, she enjoyed reading, especially her bible, fishing, and family picnics. She earned her Second Degree Black Belt in Akiakai when she was in her fifties and loved to laugh and pull pranks. Thelma also loved to travel and most of those trips were family affairs. The last big trip she took was in 2017 when she, along with family, travelled out west, going through Texas to see some of the most well known landmarks of our country. An avid traveler, Thelma has visited all 50 states as well as Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, Belize, and Honduras along with many other destinations. Above everything else though, she loved God and taught her children about Him and His love for us.
Preceding her in death were her parents, her son, Dale Wayne Thomas, a daughter in law, Vickie Thomas, a son in law, Richard (Rick) Murray, a brother and sister in law, Odus and Betty Watson, and a sister, Edna Watson.
Survivors include her husband, Homer Thomas, whom she married February 28, 1953, two sons, Larry Dale Thomas, of Livingston, Tennessee and Gary Wade Thomas, of Stearns, Kentucky, two daughters, Sharon Kay Coy and her husband, Richard, of Andersonville, Tennessee and Kathie Lynn Thomas, of Whitley City, Kentucky, a brother, Estel Watson, and wife, Barbara, of Seymour, Indiana, a sister, Wilma Davenport, of Dawsonville, Georgia, four grandchildren, Katie Scarlett Marsh, and her husband, Sean, William Herbert Thomas and his wife, Nanette, Heidi Marie White and her fiancé, Chris Carrow, and Sharon Renae Clark and her husband, Mark, ten great grandchildren, William Tyler Thomas and his wife, Caroline, Preston Nicholas Thomas, Alex Marshall Thomas, Michael Marsh, Kayla Marie White, Kinsey Paige White, Braelyn Elise Carrow, Dustin Joseph Clark, Lucas Daniel Clark, and Sophia Renae Clark and several nieces and nephews.
Hickman-Strunk Funeral Home was honored to serve the family of Rev. Thelma Thomas.
Funeral services were Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 1:00 pm at the Whitley City Church of God with Bro. Bruce Dixon and Bro. Ryan Wells officiating. Burial was in the Kidd Cemetery.
She was born July 20, 1934 in the Bald Knob community in McCreary County, Kentucky to Willie and Geneva (Cochran) Watson. She grew up near the coal camps of McCreary County, being the daughter of a coal miner and she was always a daddy's girl.
Thelma was a member of the South Pine Knot Church of God but also regularly attended Whitley City Church of God. Throughout her life she worked at many jobs such as working in a record store, assembling circuit boards in a factory, and selling Tupperware, Avon, and World Gifts. She even was a truck driver, traveling the country with Homer for 4 or 5 years. But her favorite job of all was spreading the gospel and being a mom, mamaw, and grammy.
Thelma was an ordained minister and had served as pastor and assistant pastor at many church and as an evangelist. She could always be counted on to do whatever was needed at the church from teaching Children's Church and Vacation Bible School to being a shoulder to lean on. As an outreach of her ministry, she had a radio ministry where she was able to reach a great number of people and had a volunteer ministry at the nursing home in Pine Knot and other areas. She had also volunteered as leader for Campfire Girls and Cub Scouts, she was known for her volunteer efforts.
In her spare time, she enjoyed reading, especially her bible, fishing, and family picnics. She earned her Second Degree Black Belt in Akiakai when she was in her fifties and loved to laugh and pull pranks. Thelma also loved to travel and most of those trips were family affairs. The last big trip she took was in 2017 when she, along with family, travelled out west, going through Texas to see some of the most well known landmarks of our country. An avid traveler, Thelma has visited all 50 states as well as Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, Belize, and Honduras along with many other destinations. Above everything else though, she loved God and taught her children about Him and His love for us.
Preceding her in death were her parents, her son, Dale Wayne Thomas, a daughter in law, Vickie Thomas, a son in law, Richard (Rick) Murray, a brother and sister in law, Odus and Betty Watson, and a sister, Edna Watson.
Survivors include her husband, Homer Thomas, whom she married February 28, 1953, two sons, Larry Dale Thomas, of Livingston, Tennessee and Gary Wade Thomas, of Stearns, Kentucky, two daughters, Sharon Kay Coy and her husband, Richard, of Andersonville, Tennessee and Kathie Lynn Thomas, of Whitley City, Kentucky, a brother, Estel Watson, and wife, Barbara, of Seymour, Indiana, a sister, Wilma Davenport, of Dawsonville, Georgia, four grandchildren, Katie Scarlett Marsh, and her husband, Sean, William Herbert Thomas and his wife, Nanette, Heidi Marie White and her fiancé, Chris Carrow, and Sharon Renae Clark and her husband, Mark, ten great grandchildren, William Tyler Thomas and his wife, Caroline, Preston Nicholas Thomas, Alex Marshall Thomas, Michael Marsh, Kayla Marie White, Kinsey Paige White, Braelyn Elise Carrow, Dustin Joseph Clark, Lucas Daniel Clark, and Sophia Renae Clark and several nieces and nephews.
Hickman-Strunk Funeral Home was honored to serve the family of Rev. Thelma Thomas.