Josephine Elizabeth Thomas

Josephine Elizabeth Thomas

Josephine Elizabeth Thomas was born on July 4, 1929 in Pell City, Alabama.  She was the eldest child of Sylvester and Willie O’Neal.

Josephine, affectionately known as “Jo”, “Josie”, “Muh”, “Mommy”, “Grams” and “Grandma”, was educated and graduated with high honors as Salutatorian from St. Claire County Training School at the age of 16.  For a number of years she worked as a nurse.

In 1959 she met the love of her life, Walter Lee Thomas.  They were married on October 21, 1960.  They enjoyed the next 48 years together, setting a wonderful example of how a husband and wife ought to love each other; until he fell asleep in death on June 19, 2008. Although losing her soulmate, she continued to be the glue that kept the family together.

Josephine enjoyed swing dancing, cooking, gardening and shopping! But she was best known for baking any dessert from scratch.  Her Texas sheet cake, any flavored pound cake and her delicious sweet potato pies were favorites amongst many.  She had beautiful penmanship and she was a stickler for her children to have the same. She had a classy style of dress and she was a dignified woman. She loved to give big hugs and when she did, you felt her love!

She was preceded in death by both parents Sylvester and Willie O’Neal, her husband Walter Lee Thomas, her brother Charles O’Neal and her sons Charles and Willie Peavy.  Her legacy of love and respect will be honored in the lives of her children Reginald Peavy (Nellie), Diane Samedy (Alex), Claude Blue, Keith Thomas (Sheri), Valerie Knowles (Andre), Charnay Stancil (Bermell Sr.), Sara Thomas, Sabrina Carreras (Greg), her spiritually-embraced son Peter Melendez (Evelyn), 27 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, 2 nieces Kecia and Charlesetta O’Neal, a first-cousin Elizabeth Holloway, countless other relatives and spiritual brother and sisters whom she loved dearly.

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