Carol Lou Thomas

Carol Lou (Houser) Thomas, of Emporia, went to be with her Lord and sisters, Monday, April 20, 2020. She was born to the late Robert and Mildred (Benedict) Houser on December 19, 1938 in Moline, Kansas.

She was married to James M Thomas April 7, 1957 in Emporia, Kansas. Together they made a home and worked hard on a farm near Admire, Kansas.  After 43 years of farming they retired and moved to Emporia. During retirement Carol enjoyed growing herbs in her herb garden and working on genealogy.

Carol loved reading books, all kinds of books, and was a member of the Page Turner book discussion group at the Emporia Public Library.  She was also part of the ‘Lunch Bunch’, a group of women who graduated from Emporia High School in 1956 and met for lunch once every month. She cherished those friendships. She was a lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church. What she loved most of all was her family. She taught them the love of walking through the woods and how to enjoy a good outdoor fire. She was dearly loved by her husband, her children, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents Robert and Mildred Houser, her sister, Sylvia Burnell and her twin sister, Karen Lowry.

She is survived by her husband of 63 years James Thomas; her children Kathleen (Ronald) White of Midlothian, VA, Stacy (Barbara) Thomas of Wichita, KS, and Jeff (Beatriz) Thomas of Wayzata, MN; her grandchildren; Tara Spencer, Matthew Spencer, Ashley White, Michael Thomas, Kyle Thomas, Mark Thomas, Bradley Thomas, Eric Thomas, Nathaniel Thomas, Elizabeth Thomas, Will Thomas, Ana Maria Thomas, and Cecilia Thomas; her great grandchildren; Aidan, Adalynn, Makaio, Kainoa, Harrison, Clara, Ellie, and Luke; her brothers; Rodney Houser of Damascus, OR, Gordon Houser of Newton, KS, Donald Houser of Emporia, KS and Ronald Houser of Madison, KS.

Private graveside services will be held at the Memorial Lawn Cemetery, Emporia, Kansas.  At a later date a memorial service will be held to celebrate Carol’s life.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Friends of the Library or the First United Methodist Church, Emporia, KS. Contributions may be sent to Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home, PO Box #175, Emporia, Kansas 66801.

Condolences may be sent to the family online through the funeral home website; www.robertsblue.com