Jack Thomas

Jack Thomas, 92, of Winterset died Sunday, December 29, 2013 at Winterset Care Center North in Winterset. A memorial service will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday, January 11, 2014 at the First United Methodist Church in Winterset. A visitation with family present will be held 5 to 7 p.m., Friday, January 10, 2014 at Ochiltree Funeral Service. Burial will be in the Winterset Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church, the Madison County Fair Association and/or the Madison County Historical Society. On-line condolences may be made to the family at www.ochiltree.com. Jack Thomas was born May 29, 1921 in Webster Township, Madison County, Iowa; the son of Floyd and Lillian (Arnold) Thomas. He attended school through the eighth grade at Webster Center School and attended high school in Winterset graduating in the class of 1939. During high school, he played football and was an active member of FFA; becoming a state vice president within the organization, as well as achieving an American Farmer FFA award. Jack met the love of his life while attending a basketball game in Macksburg. He noticed a young girl named Florence Akin and this romance blossomed and on September 25, 1945 they were married at the Christian Church in Winterset. She preceded him in death on October 11, 2012. Jack was a farmer all of his life having farmed near Winterset and Collins, Iowa and eventually moved back to Madison County in 1962 when Jack and Florence purchased the Thomas Family farm in Webster Township in 1962, which became a Century Farm in 1993. Jack was a former member of the Wesley Chapel Church and current member of the First United Methodist Church in Winterset. He has also served as a board member of the Madison County Historical Society, Madison County Hospital, and Madison County Fair Association and was a member of the Winterset Lion’s Club. He is survived by his three children, Lillian (Marvin) Eivins of Winterset, Steven (Janet) Thomas of Windsor, CO, and Arnold (Debbie) Thomas of Sac City; a sister, Ethel Jensen of St. Charles, IL; and a sister-in-law Donna Thomas of Murray; 7 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by sisters-in-law, Margaret (Charles) Blair of Macksburg, Corinne Eivins of Manitowac, WI, and Shirley Bittenger of Winterset; and brother-in-law, Keith (Barbara) Aikin. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; a sister, Helen Palmer; a brother, Wayne Thomas; and a granddaughter, Stacey Thomas.