Jefferson Davis Thomas

Jefferson Davis Thomas born in Comanche, Oklahoma on September 25, 1914. He and his wife Thelma have two daughters, Dr. Georgia Thomas (Dr. Lee Murray) of Houston TX and Laurie Thomas of Oak Harbor, OH. He has a brother, William Thomas, of Ponca City, OK, and is preceded in death by two sisters, Lena and Marie, and his father Alexander Jefferson Thomas and his mother Foy May Davis. He was 94 when he died, and in the course of his long life, he was blessed to see both Civil War veterans and men landing on the moon. Jeff's family was from northern Texas and came into Oklahoma during the land rush of 1889. When Jeff was growing up, his father worked in the oilfields and Jeff traveled with him, building houses for the workers in the new oil industry. My father remembered the days when paved roads were scarce in Texas and Oklahoma. He graduated from Oklahoma A&M College (now Oklahoma State University) in 1939, with a degree in engineering. He enlisted in the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and served in World War II. He met his wife Thelma (Hopfinger) while working at Camp Perry. After the war he worked as a mechanical engineer for several firms, finishing his career as Chief Engineer for American Koyo Corporation, a division of Boise Cascade Industries. He was a long time member of St. John Lutheran Church, Port Clinton. For many years he had a cottage on Lake Restoule, Ontario, which he designed and built himself. His creativity and ability to work with his hands will be an enduring legacy to all his friends and relatives, especially to his daughters. Visitation: 1 3 p.m. Tuesday October 28, 2008, at the Neidecker, LeVeck, and Crosser Funeral Home, 1124 Fulton Street, Port Clinton, followed by services: 3 p. m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008, at the funeral home, the Rev. James Lehman, St. John Lutheran Church, Port Clinton, presiding. Memorials: Contributions in memory of Jeff may be directed to the Ida Rupp Public Library, Port Clinton, OH. Funeral Home: Neidecker-LeVeck & Crosser Funeral Home - Port Clinton Chapel 1124 Fulton Street Port Clinton, OH US 43452