Thomas Richard Sr.
Source: Crawfordsville Journal Review 3 Dec 1949 p 3 typed by Walt W
Richard Thomas, Sr., son and 6th child of Mr. and Mrs. Levi and Elizabeth Davison Thomas, was born in the old Thomas farm home, three miles south of New Richmond, on Jan. 6, 1865. In this neighborhood he attended the old Patton school, and when a young man, moved with his parents to a farm four and one-half miles north of Crawfordsville. It was here he learned farming with his father. In this vicinity he met and married Miss Bertha Florence Liter on Sept. 1, 1886, and they started into life's journey and lived and worked 63 years together. To this union two sons were born, one dying at birth, and Levi passing away at the age of 45 years on July 13, 1936. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas, commonly referred to as `'Bertie" and "Dick", united with the Young's Chapel Christian church in their early married life, in later years transferring their membership to the Methodist church in New Richmond, where they still lived. They started their life's work together and were engaged in farming with his father on the farm north of Crawfordsville from 1886 to 1893, after his father's death of a few years later, moved to a farm three miles south of New Richmond where they farmed heavily, "Dick" resuming all responsibility of home and farm, carried on, until in 1911 they moved to New Richmond, and lived a retired farmer's life, while his son, Levi, and wife managed the farming. It wars then they moved their church membership to New Richmond and were active workers until their health became such as to have to be inactive in the church activities. The past three or four years he had been confined close to home and the past 10 weeks had been bedfast, gradually weakening away until the end came, when he quietly slept away, and left us on the 22nd day of November, 1949, at the age of 84 years, 10 months and 17 days. He leaves to mourn his departure the widow, Bertha Thomas; two grandchildren, Miss Pearl Frances Thomas, of New Richmond, and Richard C. Thomas, Jr., and wife, Irene; and daughter-in-law, Mrs. Levi Thomas, also of New Richmond, and other relatives and friends. Card of Thanks We wish to thank each and every one who helped in any way during the sickness and death of our husband and grandfather, Mr. Richard Thomas, Sr. --Mrs. Bertha Thomas. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Thomas, Jr. Miss Pearl Frances Thomas. Mrs. Mae Thomas.