Dr. Byron H. Thomas (1930-2006)

THOMAS, OCHS, VETTER, ARMSTRONG, PALMER, BARBER, MUELLER, WIEBOLD

Posted By: Tri-County Times
Date: 9/1/2006 at 08:13:50

TRI COUNTY TIMES, Story County, Iowa, Thursday, August 31, 2006.

Dr. Byron H. Thomas

Dr. Byron H. Thomas, 76, of Anamosa and formerly of Wyoming, Iowa, died at 10:03 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 27, in St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids, after a short illness.

Funeral services were held today (Aug. 31) at Zion American Lutheran Church in Wyoming, Iowa.

Byron Hugh Thomas was born on Feb. 19, 1930, in Iowa County the son of Hugh Benjamin and Iva Ladema (Ochs) Thomas. He graduated in 1947 from Marengo High School. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Iowa State Teachers, Cedar Falls, and his PhD from the University of Iowa in Iowa City. He was inducted into the Marine Corps in December 1951 and served as a clerk in the Depot of Supplies in San Francisco until December 1953. He was united in marriage on April 6, 1950, at Salem United Church of Christ, Alleman, to Esther Louise Vetter. She survives.

Also surviving are one son, Mark (Ginger) Thomas, of Wyoming, and four daughters, Marilyn Armstrong, of Monticello, Illinois, Marlene (Greg) Palmer, of Waukon, Marcella Thomas, of Anamosa and Marlys (Troy) Barker, of Nevada; 13 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, two brothers, Orville (Doris) Thomas, of Marion and Warren (Doris) Thomas, of Cedar Falls and two sisters, Velma Mueller, of Bakersfield, Calif., and Ethel (Russell) Wiebold, of Westminster, Colo., and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers and three sisters

He started his career as a classroom teacher and taught at Sheldahl, Minburn and Durant. He was high school principal at Rhodes and then began his Superintendent of Schools career at Olds Consolidated School District in Olds, followed by Coggon, Waco Community at Wayland, Olds, Crawfordsville and Pocahontas. He then worked for Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, as director of education at the Men's Reformatory in Anamosa, until his retirement in 1992. He worked as a gate supervisor for Per Mar taking tickets at Iowa Hawkeye football and basketball games for 28 years.

He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He loved to travel, attend Iowa Hawkeye games and was an avid Chicago Cubs fan.

Funeral arrangements were handled by Lahey's Funeral Home of Wyoming, Iowa. An online photo tribute about Byron is available at www.laheys.com.

http://www.tricountytimes.com
 

Story Obituaries maintained by Mark Christian.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen