Mary Lou Thomas

Mary Lou (McElfresh), 86, Glen Elder, passed away Friday, January 3, 2020, at the Salina Regional Health Center as the result of hip surgery complications.

Mary Lou was born November 7, 1933, the third child of Orval Clyde and Alice Marie (Hunt) McElfresh, at 417 S. Morgan, Downs. She attended all 12 years of school in Downs and graduated in 1951.

Mary Lou married Tom Thomas on September 6, 1950, at her parents' home in Downs. Three children were born to this union: Thomas Randall (Randy), Susan Kay, and Michael (Mike) Lee. The couple was married 69 years before Tom's passing in October, 2019.

Mary Lou and Tom were blessed to be able to raise their grandson Thomas (Tommy) Randall Thomas II, due to the illness and later death of his mother Georgia Lee when he was five, and the fact that his father was in the Navy serving on a submarine. They were also blessed with six other grandchildren, Brian DeBey, Beloit, Allen DeBey, Osborne, Jill Turner, Lee's Summit, MO, Stephen Thomas, California, Tricia Thomas, Alaska, and Donna Marie Thomas Baral, St. Louis, MO, and eight great grandchildren.

Mary Lou worked several years for Alliance Insurance in McPherson in the data processing and later coding departments before moving to Denver, CO in 1970 with her family so her husband could attend the Bear Valley School of Preaching. She truly was a help meet to Tom during his studies at the preachers' school, as she typed all of his papers and was also a full-time homemaker at this time. She faithfully attended the ladies classes for the preachers' wives, where she learned how to be a preacher's wife and a better Bible class teacher for childrens' and ladies' classes.

Mary Lou taught many childrens' and ladies' Bible classes and also led many Bible lessons at the Mitchell County Hospital Long Term Care.

Mary Lou is survived by two children, Susan DeBey, Downs, and Mike and wife Sheri, Lee's Summit, MO; daughter-in-law, Rhonda, Iola; six grandchildren; eight great grandchildren; and brothers-in-law, Lee Thomas and wife Donna, Lee's Summit, MO and Bob Thomas and wife Sharon, Wentzville, MO; and many other relatives, friends, and church family.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Lester Wayne and Marion Lloyd (Mac) McElfresh; husband, Tom; son Randy in September 2013; and grandson, Tommy in February 2013.

Mary Lou was a member of the Beloit Church of Christ.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 AM Saturday, January 11 at the Roberts Family Funeral Home followed by burial in Downs Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6-7:30 PM Friday, January 10 at the funeral home. Memorials may be given to the Beloit Church of Christ.