On the morning of Saturday April 20, 2019, Ellen “Merle” Thomas, age 90, left the confines of her worldly form. Being comforted by her daughter on this beautiful spring morning she would again join her husband “Chester” of 70 years whom she had missed so dearly. “Merle” the oldest of nine siblings was born on a farm September 11, 1928 to parents Albert F. and Eleanor C. Gwin. When Merle was only 14 she left home to live with her Aunt Sister in Pensacola so that she could find work and send money home to help support her family. While this was a brave move for Merle it was only the first of many. Landing a job as a waitress at Jerry’s restaurant is also where she met and landed the future husband and love of her life Kirby “Chester” Thomas Jr.. They eloped to be married on May 17, 1947 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and started an adventure of a lifetime. Merle a country girl raised on a farm never having learned how to swim would show the world just how brave she was! Taking her toddler son John and traveling by train from Pensacola to the West Coast where they boarded a troop ship bound for Japan to be with her military husband Chester. Her fear of drowning was no match for her resolve to cross the country and the Pacific ocean! No mater how wide or deep not even an ocean could not keep them apart! Later this farm girl and her love would be stationed in Germany and travel all over Europe and duty stations all over the United States where they made many life long friends. When the times forced them to be apart for extended periods Merle/momma raised her four children by herself making what ever sacrifice were needed. Keeping them fed and safe while never showing the stress she was certainly feeling. She wiped their tears, kissed their boo-boos and made everything better!
Merle had many hobbies over the years, gourmet cooking, baking and cake decorating, bowling, gardening , sewing, crocheting, bird watching, reading romance novels and raising her four children are a few.
Like her cooking prowess Merle’s green thumb was legendary inherited most likely from her farming heritage. She could shove a stick in the ground and it would sprout leaves and grow!
Merle’s abilities knew no bounds for when she decided her kitchen needed a makeover she skillfully refinished her cabinets and reupholstered the banquette seating. In this kitchen the memory of those legendary gourmet meals like chicken Kiev and shish kabobs are still making mouths water.
Merle is best known for her loving bright smile, irresistible beauty and caring personality! People were drawn to her and once you met Merle you loved her. Merle or honey, Merle-friend, memaw, meme, grandma or momma will forever be loved and missed by her family and friends. They will always be warmed by the memory of her smile, her fortitude and her loving care. Just trying to write down some of the wonderful memories of momma is like trying to catch all the seeds blown from a dandelion in the breeze! Just make a wish and try to hold on to as many as you can!
Merle was proceeded in death by her husband Kirby “Chester” Thomas Jr., parents Albert F. and Eleanor C. Gwin; brothers Clifton, Edward, Charles, Carl, Bobby, Jack and Gray Gwin; sister Dorothy McFarland, brother-in-law John “JB” Hudson and sister-in-law Sarah Jane Hudson.
Merle is survived by her loving children, daughter, Ellen Diane (Zach) LeVey; sons, John Arthur (Joyce) Thomas; son, Kirby Albert (Cynthia) Thomas; son Guy Neal (Juliane) Thomas; grandchildren, Dawn (Michael) Chadwick; Jennifer (Charles) Hamblin; Shavonne (Randy) McQuade; Alisha (Gary) Marshall; Jessica (Derek) Flint; Maxwell (Kelly) LeVey; Keith (Ashley) Thomas; Alyson Thomas; Ridley and Benjamin Thomas and great-grandchildren; Jenna Chadwick; Keely Coats; Kegan, Asia and Willie McQuade; Cameron Marshall; Nathan and Jackson Flint; Morgan and Evan Thomas; and Madelyn Pugh.
Special thanks and gratitude to her loving daughter Ellen LeVey for her tireless tenacity and devotion to her parents care as well as thanks to the staff at Arcadia and Covenant Care Hospice.
