Julia Juanita Thomas
AVA, MO

Julia Thomas, 81 years, 6 months, and 22 days old, passed to Heaven on February 6, 2014 at Rest Haven Convalescent and Retirement Home, Sedalia, MO.

Julia was born July 15, 1932 in Arkoma, OK to James Asa and Vernice Marie (Brooks) Rogers.

Julia was a retired Supervisor of the GE Plant in Fort Smith, AR. She had also served as a Supervisor for Transpro Manufacturing in Mt. Vernon, MO. And her final employment was that she co-owned and operated the Black Kettle Restaurant in Monett, MO.

Julia enjoyed sewing, making crafts such as teddy bears and vintage dolls; gardening; fishing; hunting and she loved going to church.

She was a Christian and a member of the First Southern Baptist Church in Ava, MO. She was a former member of First General Baptist Church in Ava. There, she taught Sunday School and was involved in Missions and Ladies Auxiliary.

In 1948 Julia Juanita and James Clifford Thomas were united in marriage at Ft. Smith, AR and to this union three children were born.

Julia was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, James, three brothers, Jerry, Kenneth, and Jimmy Rogers, and two sisters, Erma Spence and Sandy Conley.

Julia is survived by three children and their spouses; James & Sandra Thomas, Murfreesboro, TN, Shirley & Don Rowe, Sedalia, MO, Judy and Randy Jenkins, Ava, MO, six grandchildren, Lisa Crenshaw, Shannon Koonce, Landon Jenkins, Arielle Santander, Sydney Thomas, James Mathew Thomas, and six great-grandchildren, Caitlyn and Rachael Crenshaw, Alyssa and Baylie Koonce, Savannah and Collin Jenkins, a sister, Betty Dyer, Ft. Smith, AR, and other relatives and friends.


Funeral services for Julia will be Monday, Feb.10, 2014, 2:00 p.m. in the Clinkingbeard Chapel, Ava, MO with burial in the Mt. Tabor Cemetery. Officiating will be Rev. Raymond Haden. Memorials may be made to Alzheimer's Assoc., St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or Mt. Tabor Cemetery.