JOHN J. THOMAS, son of John and Elizabeth Thomas, was born in Sacramento, California on January 26, 1861. His parents came to California from Wales. They left for Iowa in 1866. John married Margaret Maria Watkins who born in Pennsylvania on November 26, 1861. They had five children; Arthur, Effie, Clay, Glen and Floyd. Floyd died o typhoid at age five. In the early 1900’s, John bought a ranch west of Clearwater. He later moved to Oakdale to the “Burkhead” house but moved back to Iowa in the early 1920’s. Margaret passed away in February 1937. John returned to Oakdale to live with his daughter, Effie Jones, until his death in 1939. Effie married Frank Jones at Mt Ayre, Iowa on January 11, 1906 and came to Clearwater in 1912 to a house her father had built for them. Glen came and lived with them. In 1918, Frank and Effie bought a farm south of Oakdale across from the cemetery. They lived there until the 1940’s and then moved to Neligh. Frank died in 1944. Their only child, Jack, married Bernice Mathers, two children, Jack and Betty. Arthur Thomas lived south of Oakdale for awhile. He married Blanche Howard, two children, Clifford and Clement. They returned to Iowa and Arthur died in the 1950’s. Clay Thomas farmed west of Neligh. He married Lillian Howard and they had two daughters, Cleo and Thelma. Clay and Lillian retired to Neligh where Clay died in 1960 and Lillian in 1976. Cleo married Earl Baker and Thelma married Gerald Baker. Glen Thomas went back to Iowa and married to Alma Brownell. She was the daughter of Robert and Carrie Brownell. They were married on February 17, 1915 in Iowa. They returned to a farm southwest of Oakdale. They were parents of five children: LaVonne, Garland, Bob, Jack, and Raymond. All were graduates of Oakdale High School. Glen and Alma retired to Oakdale in 1944. Glen died in 1966 and Alma went to California where she passed away in January 1969. LaVonne married Robert Bettendorf, son of Jack and Ellen Bettendorf of Oakdale, two children; Garland married Richard Lewis, son of Walter and Ota Lewis, two children, Joanne and Don; Bob served in WWII, married Edith Simunek, daughter of Anna and Frank Simunek, two children, Kelly Jean and Scott; Jack, served in the Navy in WWII, married Betty Graves, daughter of Elmer and Faye Graves, three children, Rodney, Janice, and Sharon; Raymond Thomas lived south of Oakdale, married Arlene Kahland, two children, Ronald and Janelle.
Source Unknown: Originally submitted for this website in Dec 2007