Thomas, Merle Douglas

1926 - 2021  (95 years)

• Name	Thomas, Merle Douglas
  Birth	1 Apr 1926	Illinois   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Census		1940 Census, Stanford Township, Clay County, Illinois, page 01b 1940 United States Federal Census, Stanford Township, Clay County, Illinois, (District 13-20), image 03, page 01b
  Occupation	Reverend
  Reference Number	THOM.M010
  _FGRAVE	229487171
  Military Service	World War II, Coxswain, United States Navy  [2]
  	Enlisted and entered active service on June 9, 1944. Completed boot camp at Naval Training Station, Great Lakes, Illinois. Stationed, in turn, at Advanced Base Assembly and Training Unit, Lido Beach, Long Island, New York; and Naval Supply Depott, Naval Advanced Base, Navy 131 (Noumea, New Caledonia). Honorably discharged as a Coxswain on March 3, 1946 at the Naval Personnel Separation Center, Great Lakes, Illinois. Earned the American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the WWII Victory Medal. 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: https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=2300716
  		American Campaign Medal, United States
  		Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, United States Armed Forces
  		Naval Station Great Lakes, North Chicago, Illinois
  		United States Navy
  		United States Navy Enlisted Rates
  		World War II (1939-1945)
  		World War II Victory Medal, United States Military
  		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, Merle Douglas (1926-2021)
  		Flag of the United States, 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, a…
  		Military Service Ribbons, Merle Douglas Thomas (1926-2021) Contributed by Carl Wayne Gray
  		American Campaign Medal, United States Armed Forces
  		Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, United States Armed Forces
  		United States Navy Shield
  		World War II Victory Medal, United States Military
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 01 of 26 pages 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. This…
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 02 of 26 pages 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. This…
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 03 of 26 pages 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. This…
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 23 of 26 pages 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. This…
  Death	12 Jul 2021	Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky
  Burial	McKendree United Methodist Church Cemetery, Heath, McCracken County, Kentucky
  Person ID	I26806	Carl Wayne Gray Research | Thomas - Loveland John Henry Thomas and Clara Belle Loveland Descendants
  Last Modified	23 May 2023

  
  

  Father	Thomas, Adelbert Lavariette 'Delbert',   b. 13 Apr 1886, Flora, Clay County, Illinois d. 28 Jun 1939, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois (Age 53 years)
  Mother	Neese, Leona Belle,   b. 1 Oct 1891, Illinois d. 28 May 1975, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois (Age 83 years)
  Family ID	F2020	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	?, Norma Jean
  Family ID	F11529	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 1 Apr 1926 - Illinois Death - 12 Jul 2021 - Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky Burial - - McKendree United Methodist Church Cemetery, Heath, McCracken County, Kentucky  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  Rev. Merle Thomas, age 95, of Georgetown, KY passed away at Bluegrass Hospice Care Center in Lexington, KY on Monday, July 12, 2021. He was born to his parents on April 1, 1926 Delbert and Leona Thomas. Brother Merle was a World War II Navy Veteran. He was a member of Concord United Methodist Church in Paducah, Ky. He started his ministry of pastoring in 1950, retired in 1991 and his last sermon was preached in 2010. He pastored several churches in the Memphis Conference of The United Methodist Church; Owenton UMC, East Dyersburg UMC, Aldersgate UMC, Northside UMC, Kevil and New Liberty UMC, Dyer UMC, Nebo UMC, Hickman and West Hickman UMC, Lebanon UMC, St. Luke Aldersgate UMC, Massac UMC, Bandana and Oscar United Methodist Churches and Christ UMC. Merle loved to play the banjo and dulcimer. While he enjoyed playing these instruments, he also built eight banjos and 30 dulcimers. He is survived by his wife Norma Gene Thomas of 72 years; three sons Mike Thomas (Lynne) of West Paducah,KY, Gary Thomas (Ginger) of Lovelaceville,KY, and Rodney Thomas (Kim) of Burlington, KY; one daughter Sandra Sebastian ( Barry) of Sadieville, KY fifteen Grandchildren, and nineteen great grandchildren. Merle was preceded in death by a daughter Deborah Swafford, four sisters, Beulah Smith, Lucille Farmer, Ruth Henderson, and Violet Gill; two brothers Carl Thomas and Emory Thomas and his parents Delbert and Leona Thomas. Visitation: Thursday, July 15, 2021, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm at Concord United Methodist Church in Paducah, Ky. Funeral Services: Thursday, July 15, 2021, 2:00 p.m. at Concord United Methodist Church; officiants: Rev. John Smithmier, Rev. Joel Jackson and Rev. Dean Emerson Interment: McKendree United Methodist Cemetery with Navy Military Honors.

  
  

• Sources

  [S1576] Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census, Stanford Township, Clay County, Illinois, (District 13-20), image 03, page 1b, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/2442/M-T0627-00769-00480?backurl=https%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.as) (Reliability: 2). [S7576] World War II Honoree, Merle Douglas Thomas, (https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=2300716) (Reliability: 2).