Thomas, Tommie Ellwood

1921 - 2008  (86 years)

• Name	Thomas, Tommie Ellwood
  		Tommie Ellwood Thomas (1921-2008)
  Birth	24 Dec 1921	Clay City, Clay County, Illinois   [1, 2, 3]
  Gender	Male
  Reference Number	THOM.T003
  _FGRAVE	28492234
  Funeral	26 Jul 2008	Frank & Bright Funeral Home, Flora, Clay County, Illinois   [1]
  Military Service	World War II, First Sergeant, Battery A, 948th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Gun Battalion, United States Army  [1, 5]
  	Entered active service as a draftee on December 18, 1942. Trained as an Anti-Aircraft Artillery Gun Crewman. Departed for the Pacific Theater of Operations on July 15, 1944 and participated in the invasion and capture of the Ryukyu Islands serving with Battery A, 948th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Gun Battalion. Earned the American Campaign Medal, The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one bronze battle star, the WWII Victory Medal and the Good Conduct Medal. Honorably discharged as a First Sergeant on January 28, 1946. This information has been posted on the National World War II Memorial's Registry of Remembrances website by Robert Medley Gatewood. It is entered here with his permission. Source: http://www.wwiimemorial.com/Registry/plaque.aspx?honoreeID=1873557
  		United States of America Flag, 48 Stars (1912-1959) In 1912, two stars were added to the United States flag, representing Arizona and New Mexico, bringing the total number of stars to 48. They were arranged in six rows of eight stars each. American fighting men would fight under this flag during four wars: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the beginning of the Vietnam War. (In 1959,…
  		United States Army
  		Tommie Ellwood Thomas (1921-2008)
  		First Sergeant (1st Sgt), United States Army and United States Army Air Forces (Sep 1942-Aug 1948)
  		United States Army Enlisted Rank Insignia
  		Military Service Ribbons, Thomas, Tommie Ellwood (1921-2008) Contributed by Carl Wayne Gray
  		Good Conduct Medal, United States Army
  		Good Conduct Medal, United States Armed Forces
  		American Campaign Medal, United States Military
  		American Campaign Medal, United States
  		Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, United States Armed Forces
  		Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, United States Armed Forces
  		World War II Victory Medal, United States Military
  		World War II (1939-1945)
  		Asiatic-Pacific Theater, World War II
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007 On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. …
  		World War II Honoree, Thomas, Tommie Ellwood (1921-2008)
  Death	23 Jul 2008	Clay County Hospital, Flora, Clay County, Illinois   [1]
  Burial	26 Jul 2008	Elmwood Cemetery, Flora, Clay County, Illinois   [1, 2]
  		Headstone, Thomas, Maxine E. and Tommie E.
  		Headstone, Thomas, Maxine E. and Tommie E. Displayed with permission of Wes and Jane Cannon
  Person ID	I11369	Carl Wayne Gray Research | Thomas - Loveland John Henry Thomas and Clara Belle Loveland Descendants
  Last Modified	28 Jun 2023

  
  

  Father	Thomas, Kerney Okley,   b. 17 Jan 1891, Illinois d. 11 Nov 1957 (Age 66 years)
  Mother	Tetrick, Myrtle,   b. 12 Apr 1897, Illinois d. 16 Dec 1932 (Age 35 years)
  Marriage	Y  [6, 7]
  Family ID	F1149	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Fulk, M.E.
  Children	1. Thomas, D.   2. Thomas, S.   3. Thomas, Kevin Lee,   b. 4 Feb 1963   d. 21 Oct 1998 (Age 35 years)
  Family ID	F3216	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	31 Jan 2023

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 24 Dec 1921 - Clay City, Clay County, Illinois Death - 23 Jul 2008 - Clay County Hospital, Flora, Clay County, Illinois Funeral - 26 Jul 2008 - Frank & Bright Funeral Home, Flora, Clay County, Illinois Burial - 26 Jul 2008 - Elmwood Cemetery, Flora, Clay County, Illinois  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  Tommie E. Thomas, 86, of Flora, IL died at 2:50 AM Wednesday, July 23, 2008 at Clay County Hospital in Flora. He was born December 24, 1921 in Clay City, IL to Kerney Okley & Myrtle (Tedrick) Thomas. He married Maxine E. Fulk on February 2, 1946 in Flora. He served in the U.S. Army during WWII and during his life he farmed, worked for Pure Oil, and was a partner of Coil-Thomas Chevrolet-Olds in Flora. His memberships include First Christian Church of Flora, Flora Masonic Lodge, Belleville Consistory, Ainad Temple, Clay County Shrine Club, and Flora American Legion Post #14. Tommie enjoyed farming, golfing and woodworking making fiddles and grandfather clocks. He is survived by his wife: Maxine Thomas; son: Donald Thomas & wife Janice; daughter: Sharon Biehl & husband Ted; half-brothers: Jimmie Thomas & wife Della, Ellery Thomas & wife Marie, and Sherman Thomas & wife Patty; half-sister: Alice Childers & husband Larry; step-brother: Wesley Hickenbottom; step-sister: Joyce Powell; six grandchildren & 6 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, son (Kevin Lee), two brothers (Clifford & Johnnie Thomas), 2 sisters (Genelle Henderson & Betty Thomas), and two step-sisters (Lela Michels & Halene Boudreau). Funeral services will be held at 11 AM Saturday, July 26, 2008 at Frank & Bright Funeral Home. Burial will be in Elmwood Cemetery, Flora, with military honors. Visitation will be from 6-8 PM Friday at Frank & Bright Funeral Home with 8 PM Masonic Rites. Memorials may be made to that of the donor's choice and may be received at the funeral home.

  
  

• Sources

  [S3028] http://www.findagrave.com, Obituary, Thomas, Tommie E, 86, (http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Thomas&GSiman=1&GScid=105559&GRid=28492234&), none. (Reliability: 2). [S3029] http://www.findagrave.com, Headstone, Thomas, Maxine E and Tommie E, (http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Thomas&GSiman=1&GScid=105559&GRid=28492234&), none. (Reliability: 2). [S3022] Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census, Stanford Township, Clay County, Illinois, (District 13-20), image 02, page 1a, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/2442/M-T0627-00769-00480?backurl=https%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.as) (Reliability: 2). [S1240] Ancestry.com, 1930 Federal Census, Stanford Township, Clay County, Illinois, District 18 (Township), page 4a, (http://www.ancestry.com), Page 1b, none. (Reliability: 2). [S2549] World War II Honoree, Tommie Ellwood Thomas, (https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=1873557) (Reliability: 2). [S3021] https://www.findagrave.com, Headstone, Thomas, Myrtle and Kerney, (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24075272/kerney-okley-thomas), none. (Reliability: 2). [S823] Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois, Enumeration District 3, Page 5A, (http://search.ancestry.com/content/viewer.aspx?dbid=6061&iid=4300174_00616&noredir=true&sid=&gskw=) (Reliability: 2).