Jewerl Thomas Sr.

Jewerl Thomas Sr., passed away Sunday, February 10, 2013 from colon cancer. Jewerl was born July 12, 1937 in Idabel, Oklahoma to Coleman and Gracie Thomas, the ninth of 11 children. He migrated to California as a teenager to work in agriculture. He met and married Fannie Mae Baker of Arkansas, and had 6 children during their 51-year marriage.

Jewerl was diligent and industrious, initially working for the Rowan Company as a mechanic and tractor operator. His exposure to agriculture gave birth to the dream of someday owning his own trucking company. Prior to establishing Jewerl Thomas and Son's Trucking, he worked as the caterpillar operator at the Kings County Disposal Site, and he was also employed as a truck driver for Mello Trucking Company and Louis Brazil Trucking. It was during this time that he met and endeared many to him because of work ethic, and congeniality. Never one to complain about hard work or the difficulties of life, one of his favorite sayings was, "That's a part of it."

Before retiring, he lived his dream of owning and operating Jewerl Thomas & Sons' Trucking Company for several years.

Ambitious and conscientious, Jewerl moved his young family from Stratford to the south Hanford neighborhood of Kings Terrace in the early sixties, becoming one of the original homeowners in the neighborhood. In the intervening years, he and his wife, Fannie, raised six children there, all of whom attended college and two of them played in the NFL. Jewerl's drive to improve himself and the lives of his family members, caused him to return to high school and earn his high school diploma from Hanford Joint Union High School.

Jewerl was imbued with a genial compassion that endeared him to fellow employees, relatives, friends and the many people he met during his years visiting local rest homes. He established loving relationships with the members of his Burger King, McDonalds and Wendy's families, that also included the employees of those establishments. He will be remembered for his calm, consistent temperament and easy going manner. A common refrain uttered in reference to him was, "He's the nicest man I know."

He is survived by his sons, Jewerl Jr., of Hayward, California, Billy, Larry and Romulus of Hanford; daughter, Cora and her husband Richard Doctor of Hanford; grandsons Theron, Matthew, Imani, Eric, Kyle, Coleman, Kahari, Samanui, Richard, Chadd and Nathan; granddaughters, Melanie, Tonza, Corrina, Adrienne, Micah, Corey, Racheal, Faa Flagia; and two great-grandchildren, Charlotte and Caleb; a brother, Elder Marcel Thomas of Lemoore, Bessie Beasley of Hanford, Wilma Guild of Los Angeles and Ethel Webster of Fresno. He was preceded in death by his wife, Fannie and a son, Kenneth Thomas.

A Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. at Golden Harvest Apostolic Church; 11914 2nd Place, Hanford, CA 93230 with a Graveside at a later date.