Barbara Vessels Thomas

Barbara Vessels Thomas, 84, of Elizabethtown, died early Thursday morning, November 5, 2020 at Willow Creek Assisted Living. She was blessed to have her granddaughters, Alex and Tori, sit and care for her as she passed. It was a short battle with cancer with everyone helping her in this difficult time. Mom, (Granny), left a huge hole in our hearts with her passing. She will be missed by many, most especially her family.

Barbara was an avid ROOK player, loved playing bunco, and was an exceptional seamstress, and loving mother and granny. She and Phillip ran a successful beef/tobacco farm and were familiar faces at craft fairs with a wood-crafts, rosary, and sewing business. She took up acrylic painting at age 50 and never looked back. Barbara loved learning new crafts and traveling. Barbara helped many in our community and abroad with her donations of time, talent, and sewing items to those in need.

She was the last living of ten children born to Ozzie M., Sr. and Elenora French Vessels. A Hardin County native and a lifelong member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, she was active in her church, on her farm, and in the community.

Barbara was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Phillip Thomas; a son, John Michael Thomas; her sisters, Lucy (Buck) Reesor, Stella (Carl) Keplinger, and Viola (Jesse) Burton; her brothers, Ozzie M. Jr. (Peg) Vessels, James (Loretta) Vessels, Bill Vessels, Rudolph "Dutch" (Mary Lou) Vessels, Charles "Cotton" (Helen) Vessels, and Sidney Vessels; and her great-granddaughter, Ava Elizabeth Simpson. Since she and Phillip were from such large families, there were also many brother-in-law's, sister-in-law's, nephews, and nieces.

She is survived by her daughters, Sherry (Charlie) Phillips, Kathy (Bobby) Bright, and Judy (Greg) Skillman all of Elizabethtown; two sons, Rick (Jo Ellen) Thomas and Tim Thomas all of Elizabethtown; daughter-in-law, Tish Thomas of Elizabethtown; eleven grandchildren, Deedra Hicks of Lexington, Blake (Samantha) Simpson, Case (Crystal) Simpson, and Ashley (Chad) McGuffin all of Elizabethtown, Alexandra (Marcus) Jeffries of Bloomington, IN, Tori Skillman (Sam Farren) of Louisville, Clay Thomas of Clarksville, IN, Valerie (Kris) Skillman, Jessie Thomas, Jason Phillips (Melissa) and Todd Phillips; eight great-grandchildren, Logan Parsons (Kristin Spillman) of Richmond, Hannah Murray of Lexington, Cayden, Kendall, Kathryn, Bailey, and Wesley all of Elizabethtown; she was looking forward to another great grandchild, Baby Jeffries in the spring. She also is survived by sister-in-law's, Martha Thomas, Cathy (Bob) Brown, Janet Thomas, Nell Thomas, Bonnie Vessels, and Jeannie Vessels and numerous nieces and nephews and her special friends, Bridget, Chloe and Ollie.

Visitation for Barbara is on Monday from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at Brown Funeral Home and will continue Tuesday morning at 9:00 a.m. The funeral will be Tuesday morning at 11:00 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. Burial will follow in the Church cemetery.

Due to Covid-19 regulations, the family asks that everyone in attendance wear a mask.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to the Room at the Inn of Hardin County or St. Vincent DePaul outreach.

Condolences may be expressed online at www.brownfuneral.com.