Louise Thomas

Nancy Louise Williams Thomas, beloved mother and grandmother, passed away on May 30, 2024. Visitation will be on Friday, June 7 from 5:00-7:00 PM at Resthaven Funeral Home in Lubbock, Texas. Celebration of Life services will be Saturday, June 8 at 10:00 AM at Greenlawn Church of Christ with Dale Mannon, Patrick Thomas, and Jerry Thomas officiating. Burial will follow at Resthaven Memorial Park.

Louise was born to Thomas Williams and Mae Sherman Williams on March 4, 1927 in Zena, Oklahoma. She was the youngest child of her father and the only child of her mother. While Louise didn’t grow up with her older siblings, she was raised alongside her young nephew, Tommy, whom she loved as a brother. Louise grew up on her family’s farm, helping with the daily chores and attending the one-room schoolhouse. She was a member of the local chapter of 4-H where she excelled as a student leader. She worked hard to qualify for a 4-H trip to Kansas City to visit the American Royal Livestock Show, the country’s leading agricultural education center. Her time in 4-H and her trip to the American Royal helped to instill in her the importance of hard work and the satisfaction of a job well done.

Louise married Paul B. Thomas on July 3, 1943 in Jay, Oklahoma; a marriage that lasted more than 63 years. Of her late husband, Louise stated, “He was my best friend and made me the queen of our home.”

Louise became a Christian as a young woman. She and her husband were founding members of the Greenlawn Church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas. Louise and Paul were active members: working with the Greenlawn quilting ministry, hosting home Bible studies, and sharing the gospel with their neighbors. Louise invited countless people into her home for dinner and fellowship. She was a friend to all.

Louise was a dedicated mother to her three children. When her youngest child was in high school, Louise attended the Methodist Hospital School of Nursing where she became a licensed vocational nurse. On May 11, 1970, an F-5 tornado tore through Lubbock, injuring 1,500 people and killing 26. All medical personnel of the city were called into work by Mayor Jim Granberry. Louise worked alongside dozens of other nurses at Methodist Hospital, tending to the injured of the city. She worked as a women’s health nurse for 20 years until her retirement in 1988.

After the death of her husband in 2007, Louise moved to a retirement community in North Richland Hills, Texas to be closer to her children. There she continued to make friends and influence those around her. When she left the retirement community in April, her fellow residents lined up to say goodbye. Dozens of friends wanted one last visit with Louise.

Louise has been preceded in death by her husband Paul B. Thomas, her son-in-law Gary Hess, and her daughter-in-law Ronda Starnes Thomas.

Louise is survived by her daughter, Evelyn Hess of Bedford, TX; two sons, Patrick Thomas of Boston, MA and Jerry Thomas and wife Penny Thomas of Crowley, TX; 12 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; one great-great grandson; many nieces and nephews; and friends too numerous to count.