Mostly Cloudy, 58° F
(May 12, 2005)
Funeral services were conducted Monday, May 16 at Union Presbyterian Church in Powell for Gladys Lurraine Thomas, 74, who died Thursday, May 12 at St. Vincent Hospital in Billings, Mont.
She was born June 23, 1930, in Lakeview, S.D., to Carl and Rosetta Sauerwein. The family moved to Wyoming where Lurraine grew up.
The family lived near Casper where her father worked on the construction of Alcova Dam. Later she moved to the North Fork with the family and attended the one-room Wapiti School through the eighth grade. She then moved to Cody to complete high school. While attending high school, she worked at the Green Gables Restaurant.
On Feb. 12, 1949, Lurraine married Roy Dee Thomas in Cody where they lived before moving to Powell. Lurraine and Roy farmed on the Willwood before retiring to Ralston.
She worked as a bookkeeper for the Powell Auction Yard, then the Anthony's Department Store. After retiring from the Stage Department Store, she volunteered in the classroom at Southside Elementary School.
She was active in the community, belonging to the Star Club, Ralston Women's Club, VFW Auxiliary and the Ralston Water Board.
Survivors include her husband of 56 years, Roy Thomas of Ralston; her daughter, Rosemary Barnes and husband Dan living in Albany, Ore.; grandson Christopher Barnes and wife Tiffany and granddaughter Amanda Barnes living in the Portland, Ore., area.
Her son, James Thomas, preceded her in death. His children, Stanley, Keith and Jacob Thomas, live in Casper with their mother, Janet Crichton and stepdad, Archie Crichton.
Burial was in Crown Hill Cemetery under the direction of Miratsky-Easton Funeral Home.
