John P. Thomas

Mass of Christian Burial for John P. Thomas, 89, Aberdeen, will be 10:30am Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 409 3rd Ave. SE, with Father Edward Pierce officiating.  Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens, with military rites by the Roscoe American Legion, Post 259.

Liturgical wake service followed by a Knights of Columbus Rosary will begin at 7pm Monday, January 3, at Schriver's Memorial Mortuary & Crematory, 414 5th Ave. NW.  Visitation will be 4-7pm Monday at the mortuary and one hour prior to the funeral on Tuesday, at the church.

John passed away Thursday, December 30, 2010 at his home.

John P. was born March 15, 1921 to Adam and Marion (Weisbeck) Thomas on the family farm near Bowdle, SD.  He graduated from Bowdle High School in 1941 and then moved to California where he worked for an airplane factory.  In 1942 he was drafted into the United States Air Force and was a flight engineer on a B-24 bomber, during WWII stationed in England.  After his honorable discharge in 1946, John returned to South Dakota and farmed with his father.

John and Marcella Heilman were united in marriage June 28, 1954 at St. Augustine Catholic Church, Bowdle, SD.  They made their home on a farm S.W. of Roscoe, SD, until they retired in 1993 and moved to Aberdeen, SD.

He served many years on the Grover Township Board, and was on the steering committee for WEB Water.  He was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, American Legion of Roscoe, and the Knights Of Columbus in Aberdeen.

John was preceded in death by his parents, brothers & sisters; Matthias Thomas, Sister Bernice Thomas, Frank Thomas, Dorothy Carlson and Albinus Thomas.

Grateful to have shared in John's life are his wife, Marcella of Aberdeen, his children, Cletus (Karen) Thomas of Aberdeen, SD, Elaine (Jerome) Kocher of Rapid City, SD, and Eugene (Brenda) Thomas of Pierre, SD; ten grandchildren and four great grandchildren; one brother, August Thomas of Tucson, AZ, and two sisters, Lucille Hoven of Tucson, AZ. and Catherine Fischer of Eureka, SD.

 

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