Harold Wesley Thomas

  General Notes:

Former Mayor Harold W. Thomas Dies

One of Eagle Lake's most prominent civic and community leader Ts and veteran rice farmer, rancher and agriculturist, Harold W. Thomas, 73, died at Southwest Memorial Hospital in Houston at 6:30 a.m., November 2, bringing to an end a brilliant life of dedication and leadership. Mr. Thomas succumbed following a long illness complicated by pneumonia. His death brought great sadness to his family and relatives and to friends and associates locally and throughout the state and nation. He formerly served for fifteen years as mayor of the City of Eagle Lake, and at the time of his demise was a member of the Texas Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service committee.

Last rites were held at 3 p.m. Tuesday, November 4 from the Dulany Funeral Home in Eagle Lake. Conducting the services were the Rev. George Welsch, rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Eagle Lake and the Rev. Cotton Timmons of Bryan. Assisting in the services was close friend, former city manager T. J. Smith of Eagle Lake.

His body was placed to final rest in the Lakeside Cemetery. Pallbearers were: Raymond Waddell, Bruce Waddell, Alvin Wiese, Clifford Evoritt, W. C. Alley and Rand Grieves of Eagle Lake; Dr. Cecil Marburger of Columbus, and Chester Kiefer of Uvalde. The family named as honorary pallbearers: M. M. Jones, Bill Harrison, Sr., Dr. Maxwell Goodloe, Ben Roshton, Bill Lehrer, David Wintermann, Bill Shuart, Jack Johnson, T. J. Smith, Sam Davidson, Tommy Pilkington, Cal Gertson, R. R. Wells, John Matthews, Al Lester, Fred Frnka, and member of the ASCS state committee.

Surviving to mourn the loss of this loved one are his wife for over fifty-two years, Mrs. Inez Obenhaus Thomas; a daughter, Donna Lou Kelley of Houston; a son, Gayle Thomas of Eagle Lake; two sisters, Alice Mae Hale of Kerrville and Ruth Seaholm of Dallas; two brothers, Ralph "Rusty" Thomas and Dr. Raymond R. Thomas of Eagle Lake; five grandchildren, Michael Thomas of Houston, Gaye Lynn Thomas of Eagle Lake, and Thomas, Tim and Trent Kelley of Conroe; and a great granddaughter, Jessica Thomas of Houston; and a host of nieces and nephews and other relatives and friends.

Born in Lissie
Harold Wesley Thomas was born August 19, 1913 in Lissie, the son of Moses and Clara Belle Causey Thomas. He attended school for a short time in Lissie, then moved with the family at an early age to Eagle Lake. He attended Eagle Lake public schools and graduated from Eagle Lake High School with the Class of 1932. He was united in marriage with Inez Obenhaus on November 19, 1933, in Richmond.

Harold began the lifelong professions of rice farming and ranching after his graduation and was successful in these endeavors for fifty-three years, retiring from active farming, ranching and operation of the Thomas Rice Dryer at the end of the 1985 rice season.

In addition to his participation in the field of agriculture, Mr. Thomas found time to participate actively in many, many fields of endeavor. Prominent among these was an outstanding tenure of fifteen years as Mayor of the City of Eagle Lake in terms from 1950 to 1960 and from 1964 to 1969. During those terms, Mayor Thomas led the city administration through many improvements, including additions to the airport, water and sewer systems, garbage department, streets, municipal building and many more.

In 1958, Mayor Thomas and two aldermen at this time, Alvin Wiese and Sam Davidson, organized the Eagle Lake Gas Distribution Company, a non-profit corporation which was given, debt-free, to the City of Eagle at the end of twenty years, in 1978. Thomas served as president of the gas distribution company throughout its existence. This company was later sold by the City of Eagle Lake to Entex and proceeds were used to further upgrade numerous municipal facilities.

National, State committees
In recognition of his prowess in the fields of agriculture and government, Harold Thomas was appointed in 1971 by President Richard Nixon to the national Citizens Advisory Committee on Civil Rights. In 1972, he was appointed by U. S. Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz to the Texas Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service Committee. He served on that state committee from 1972 to 1976. He was then reappointed to the Texas ASCS committee in 1983 and chaired the committee in 1983. He was actively serving as a member of the committee at the time of his death. He also was a member and past officer of the Eagle Lake division of the American Rice Growers Cooperative Association. Thomas was a staunch supporter of rice research and improvement programs and of the rice experiment stations in Eagle Lake and Beaumont.

In addition to service on the aforementioned committees, he served his state and county well. He filled the office of Republican County Chairman (1958-1960 and 1978-1980); as county chairman of the Tower for Senate committee (1966 and 1978); and as county chairman of the Bush for Senate committee (1970). In 1971, Mr. Thomas was awarded a commendation from the Republican Party of Texas for these outstanding services in the party's behalf.

Local activities
His contributions of leadership and membership in local organizations reached nearly every citizen of this community. He was a member of Christ Episcopal Church in Eagle Lake; a longtime former member and past president (1960) of Eagle Lake Rotary Club; a member and past master (1944) of the Eagle Lake Masonic Lodge No. 366 A.F. & A.M.; a life member of the Elks Club No. 1749; a former member and past Worthy Patron of the Eagle Lake Order of the Eastern Star; a member of the Columbus Chapter No. 46 R.A.M., Colorado Council No. 21, R. & S. M., Columbus Commander No. 58; and Arabia Temple Shrine of Houston.

Mr. Thomas was elected to the board of directors of First National Bank of Eagle Lake in 1963 and retired upon reaching the age of 70 in 1983. He actively supported local Boy and Girl Scouting activities and other youth organizations and projects. Notable among these was assistance in establishment of the Student FFA farm near the airport. He also backed such organizations as the Volunteer Fire Department and Chamber of Commerce.

Other honors bestowed upon this energetic Eagle Lake citizen included: Honorary Chapter Farmer Degree from the Eagle Lake Future Farmers of America chapter in 1966; recipient of the outstanding Service Above Self Merit Award from Eagle Lake Rotary Club in 1979; recipient of the Outstanding Conservation Farmer Award in Colorado County in 1976. He and other directors of the former Eagle Lake Gas Distribution Company were jointly honored for their very generous gift of the gas distribution company to the citizens of Eagle Lake.

Undoubtedly there were many other awards and citations of grateful appreciation from community and state organizations and groups to this man who truly lived the principles of "Service Above Self". His life was one of dedication to his family and to friends of all races and creeds. He shall be remembered by all who had the privilege of knowing and being associated with a truly "great" man.

Eagle Lake Headlight, November 6, 1986
Submitted by Joyce Stancik

Social Security had his last residence as Eagle Lake, Colorado County, Texas.

Harold married Inez Charlene Obenhaus, daughter of Louis Henry Obenhaus and Ella Gertrude Miles, on 19 Nov 1933 in Richmond, Fort Bend County, Texas. (Inez Charlene Obenhaus was born on 3 Dec 1912 in Bonus, Wharton County, Texas,³ died on 23 Sep 1992 in Houston, Harris County, Texas ^{2 3} and was buried on 25 Sep 1992 in Lakeside Cemetery, Eagle Lake, Colorado County, Texas.)