Mrs. FRED (Ethel McWilliams) THOMA 1881-1971

NEELING, MCWILLIAMS, THOMA

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 11/19/2007 at 08:45:46

Mrs. Fred Thoma

Funeral services were held Saturday, June 19, 1971 at 10:00 a.m. from St. Paul Lutheran Church, Postville, for Ethel K. Thoma, who died June 16 at Northgate Manor, Waukon. The Rev. Norman Ullestad officiated. Although failing vision prevented her enjoyment of the outside world, Mrs. Thoma had attended a Hawaiian party at the Manor the evening of her death.

Ethel McWilliams Thoma, daughter of James Brown McWilliams and Sarah Neeling McWilliams, was born August 1, 1881, the youngest child of a family of ten.

She grew up in this community and taught school prior to her marriage to Fred J. Thoma in 1907.

She is survived by two sons, Neeling of Phoenix, Arizona, Arthur of Postville and a grandson, Robert.

She was preceded in death by three brothers and sisters she never knew, also brothers Virgil, Carey, George and Emmet and a sister May.

Mrs. Thoma and her son, Neeling, owned and operated a restaurant in Postville for many years, until the son moved to Arizona. She then assisted her husband in the Thoma Brothers grocery store for many years. They retired in 1956. She resided in the home of her son Arthur, in Postville, for eight years and for the past year and a half has been at Northgate Manor, Waukon.

She was a life member of Eastern Star and a confirmed member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Postville.

Burial was in the Postville Cemetery.

Postville Herald newspaper clipping from my mother's obituary collection.
Submitter has no further information.