"Weep not--weep not,
She is not dead;
She's resting in the bosom of Jesus."

On January 12, 1927, in Wolf City, TX, God smiled, and a beautiful baby girl was born. Martha Jeanette McDonald Thomas was the first child of Ervin and Thelma McDonald. Within three years, the family relocated to Muskogee, Oklahoma, where Martha would grow up.

Martha loved three things early on: reading, history, and music, and school provided all of these. She enjoyed, and excelled in, school but like many children at that time working to help support the family was necessary. Although Martha had to drop out of school several times to help raise her four younger siblings, she graduated with honors from Manual Training High School in 1950. She earned an associate degree from Muskogee Junior College in 1954.

One day Martha stepped into a barber shop to get her eyebrows arched. The barber did such a great job, she went back again and again, and eventually fell in love with him. On January 26, 1956, she married the barber, Rev. David T. Thomas. Rev. Thomas was an associate pastor at Macedonia Baptist Church, and Martha settled easily and enthusiastically into the role of minister's wife. She also mastered her role as mother after having three children in quick succession - Keith Wayne, Korah DaVette, and Martin Anthony. She managed to balance home and church, as well as working nights as a nurse's assistant at Muskogee General Hospital.

Martha, however, was not done learning new things, and when her children were old enough, she went back to school. It was no easy task raising a family, working, and attending an out-of-town college, but she did it. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Education degree from Northeastern State College in Tahlequah, OK, in 1966. Subsequently, she taught third and fourth grade students for over twenty years. She began her career at Langston ElementarySchool, taught for several years at Houston Elementary School, and finally served at Irving Elementary School, where she remained until she retired in 1987.

Martha was active in several organizations in her community, holding office in many, including Baptist Ministers' Wives, The National Association of Colored Women's Clubs, and the Social Savings Club, which she helped found. She was also a member Phi Delta Kappa, a professional organization of women in the field of education. She was often to be found helping one group or another around the city with fundraising, event planning, or organizing special church programs. She was always generous with her time and energy.

Martha accepted Jesus as her Savior at an early age. She began her spiritual life as a member of Shawnee & Spruce Church of God in Christ, but upon her marriage to Rev. Thomas, she moved her membership to Macedonia Baptist Church. From there she joined Rayfield Baptist Church in the early 1970's. Several years later she joined Rayfield's then pastor, Rev. J. L. Strawther, and a group of like-minded individuals from the congregation, and formed a new church, Evangelist Temple Baptist Church. During her nearly forty years at ETBC, she served in various positions, including church secretary, Mothers' Board member, Missionary Society member, Deaconess Board member, youth Choir Director, Angel Choir director, Senior Choir member and soloist. She remained a member of Evangelist Temple for the rest of her life, even after moving to California in 2014.

Martha loved music, and she dearly loved to sing. The Lord blessed her with a powerful and beautiful singing voice, and she shared that gift with all who knew her. She was asked many times throughout her life to sing at different churches in Muskogee and surrounding communities. Even when she wasn't on the program, it was not unusual for a minister, after seeing her sitting in the pews, to ask her sing. In 2014, she moved to California with her daughter and wasted very little time finding a choir to join. The Inglewood Senior Choir welcomed her with open arms, and she sang with the choir until the pandemic forced the choir to temporarily discontinue performances.

Martha loved her family and her friends more than anything, and she had many, many friends. She liked nothing more than being with a friend or ten, eating, talking, or even playing cards. Or going to the local casino. She loved holidays, especially Christmas, partly because it meant family and friends would be getting together sharing meals and exchanging gifts. After moving to California eight years ago, Martha continued to lead an active life, even after suffering a series of health challenges. She connected with a new group of friends. She attended church as often as she could, sang in a choir and made new friends at the local senior center. She took short trips with her family, occasionally taking in the sights of Hollywood and Disneyland, and she even got to go to Mount Rushmore, which was to be her last big trip. Although she fought hard to stay with us, after ninety-five years of living this life, she was ready to go home.

On July 22, 2022, she went home to be with the Lord and join his heavenly choir. Martha was preceded in death by her husband, Rev. David T. Thomas, parents Ervin McDonald and Thelma Jones McDonald Edmondson, brothers James DeWitt McDonald, Clarence, Woodrow, Ferman, Ocie, George Jr., and Alfred Edmondson, sisters Barbara Ann Johnson and Cardelia, Mildred, Alma, Alreatha, and Gladys Edmonson, grandson Monte, niece Betty Johnson, nephews Don Paul Edmondson and Clarence Edmondson, Jr, and great-nephew Calvin Atchison.

She leaves to mourn and cherish her precious memory her children: Keith Wayne Thomas of Kokomo, IN, K. DaVette Thomas See (Robert) of Inglewood, CA, Martin Anthony McDonald Thomas (Sherry) of Inglewood, CA; sisters Georgia Edmondson Conic (Frank) of Saginaw, MI, and sister-in-law, Gussie Edmondson of Los Angeles, CA; grand-daughters Marlicia Diane Thomas Campbell (Antoine, Sr.) of Oklahoma City and Sharita Howard (John) of Palms, CA; great grand-children Amari, Nyla Jeanette, Jamarien, Khloe, Ajani, and Azeem; and nephews Frank Conic III and Christopher Liggins, Clarence Edmondson Jr., Willard Paige, Dwayne Gray, and nieces Thelma Patrice, and great-nieces Christiana Ray, Kyiesha and Kyanna Johnson; great- nephews Ricardo Wallace, and Roberto, Quentin, CaJuan, Timothy, and Donta Johnson; god- grand-daughter, Marsharee Williams of Houston, TX, and a host of family members and friends.

A retired elementary school teacher for Muskogee Public Schools.

The Hour of Remembrance for Mrs. Thomas will commence on Saturday, August 13, 2022 at the Tenth Hour in the most holy sanctuary of Boulevard Christian Church in Muskogee.

You may visit Mrs. Thomas as she rest in sweet slumber in The People's Chapel of Keith D. Biglow Funeral Directors, Inc.,-Muskogee on Friday, August 12, 2022 from 1:00 PM until 6:00 PM.

Burial will immediately follow the services in the Booker T. Washington Cemetery in Muskogee.