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Five Generations Meet:
Marie (Grandma Thomas) with
Timothy, Joan, and Timothy Thomas, Melissa and Jeremiah
Earle
Precious
in the site of the Lord is the death of His saints Psalm 116:15
Marie
Elizabeth (Jones) Thomas, born July 31, 1905, went to meet
the Lord, whom she loved dearly, on Wednesday, November 12,
2003,
at 98 years of
age. She married William Earl Thomas On November 24, 1922,
in Wellsburg, West Virginia. Together they had eight children,
26
grandchildren,
and descendants
that currently number about 100, including spouses. The
photograph of five generations, taken 11 days before her homegoing
to be with the Lord, shows Marie meeting her great-great-grandson,
Jeremiah
Earle, at five months of age. Marie was the grandmother
of
Drs. James D. Thomas and Timothy P. Thomas, and had a significant
influence
on their lives, as well as on the lives of many other people.
 Children's
Ministry
Marie
and William Thomas (shown in this photograph at their 50th
wedding anniversary celebration) raised their children in the
Royal
Oak, Michigan
area, where they
attended the Dakota Avenue Missionary Church, now Warren
Community Church. During these years Marie led children's evangelism
in her neighborhoods and
schools. She taught the children about God's word using
the innovative techniques of her day, including flannelgraph
stories. She led many, many children to give their lives to
Jesus, including
her son,
Timothy
J.
Thomas
(also
shown
in
the above
photograph), 62 years ago.
She and her husband moved to Vero Beach, Florida, where she lived
for 50 years, surrounded by many of her children and grandchildren,
before returning back to the thumb of Michigan, for the last
year
and a half
of her
life.
Fascinating
Life Stories
The fascinating
stories of her life were often told by Marie to her grandchildren
and great-grandchildren. Some have made recordings and notes
of these life stories, which may be published for
the
benefit
of her posterity. Marie and William were brought to the Lord
through the ministry of a pastor, Rev. Ed Weinziero, who built
a church by faith in Berkley, Michigan. William, a brick-layer
by
trade,
was
invited to assist in the construction of the building, where
they witnessed numerous miracles of provision of materials
and funds in the process, which helped to establish the greatness
of the Lord, and His concern for them. William and Marie gave
their lives to Jesus as a result.
A Long Blessed
Life Marie was
quick-witted, having all of her faculties until the last few
days of her life. She loved to have visitors, and was known
to give great, practical counsel for walking with the Lord,
especially to young married couples that would visit. She could
be overheard giving advice on numerous occasions, such as, "Love
each another and learn to settle your differences quickly,
obeying the scripture to 'Let not the sun
go down on your wrath'."
Marie loved
the word of God, and was saddened in the last few years of
her life when her sight faded and she could no longer read
the scriptures, which she honored and lived her life by. On
one occasion during her last month alive, on a day she was
strong enough to attend a church service at Lamotte Missionary
Church, she quoted the entire 23rd Psalm in the presence of
those attending.
In the last
weeks of her life Marie expressed that she had lived a long,
blessed life, she had seen promises of the Lord fulfilled
concerning her long life, and that she was satisfied with the
things she had done during her lifetime, fulfilling the promise
of the Lord, "with
long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation," from
Psalm 91:16. 
Grandma
Thomas With Some Michigan Family Members
Marie
will be missed by those who loved her. She has passed on
to be with
the Lord, and with her husband, William, and two sons, William
and Donald, who passed on before
her. She is survived by her many descendants.
Marie's last
prayer aloud, with her son, Timothy, was that all of
her children
and grandchildren would be ready to meet Jesus. Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside
the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths
of righteousness
for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:
For thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff
they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies:
Thou anointest my head with oil;
My cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my
life:
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
for ever.
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