Norman W. Thomas

Herrin-Norman Wine Thomas, 84, died at 5:15 p.m. on November 5, 2009, in his home in Herrin. Services will be at Van Natta Funeral Home Monday at 11:00 am. Burial will be in the East Lawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Herrin Ill. Visitation will be from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Sunday at the funeral home. Masonic rites will be at 6:30 pm Sunday. Mr. Thomas was retired from Olin where he was quality control manager. He was an active member of the Herrin Presbyterian Church, as well as the Herrin Prairie Masonic Lodge. He was also an active member of the Gideon’s. He was born March 8, 1924, in Dayton, Virginia, to Homer Franklin Thomas and Anne Mary Leap. He is survived by two daughters, Jean Folwell, of Logsden, Oregon, and Rebecca Lenzini, of Denver, Colorado; two step-sons, William and Robert Bauman of Carbondale; one son-in-law, Marc Lenzini of Denver, Colorado; one daughter-in-law Elaine Conrad of Carbondale; two granddaughters, Sarah Lenzini Gremillion of St. Louis, and Anne Lenzini, presently residing in Honduras; three grandsons, Geary Bauman of Denver, Colorado; Christopher Bauman of St. Louis, and Markus Bauman of London; two brothers, Frank Thomas and Emory Thomas of Harrisonburg, Virginia; and one sister, Elsie Thomas Hyde, of Dayton, Virginia, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his first wife, Margaret Hyde Thomas, and his second wife, Shirley Cook Bauman. Norman grew up in the Shenendoah Valley of Virginia; he served in World War II as a Staff Sergeant under General George Patton in the Fourth Armored Division in Europe. He was discharged on March 30, 1946. Upon his return to the U.S. he attended Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, Virginia, where he earned a degree in Chemical Engineering. At that time, he married Margaret Hyde. They moved to Illinois in 1953, living first in Alton, Illinois, before moving to Herrin in 1958. Margaret Thomas died on September 26, 1977. He married Shirley Bauman on June 30, 1979. Shirley passed away on April 3, 1998. An active member of the Masons, Norman served as Grand Master in 1975 and also served as secretary both for Herrin Prairie Lodge and for the Herrin Presbyterian Church for many years. Norman will be remembered fondly by many as a gentle and kind man, who was a wonderful husband, brother, father and friend. Donations in Norman’s memory should be made to Hospice of Southern Illinois 204 Halfway Road Marion Ill. 62959-5058.