Josephine Thoms

Josephine Thoms, age 94 of Paola, passed away Aug. 2, 2010 at the Meadowbrook Rehabilitation Center in Gardner. Josephine was born May 3, 1916 in Rural Miami County Kansas to Joseph Francis and Anna Lucy Chamberlin Stephens. She grew up in the area and on Oct. 5, 1932 she was united in marriage to Floyd Bell Thoms in Olathe, Kansas. She and Floyd worked on the family farm where she helped working in the fields and hauled grain to market. Josephine also raised three daughters and one son. Her hobbies were canning, cooking, growing flowers and gardening, fishing and hunting with her husband, spending time with and spoiling her grandchildren, and was always worrying about everyone else"s needs. She is preceded in death by her parents, husband of 74 years, 8 sisters, one brother, one grandson David Wayne Tollett and one great-great-grandson Korbin Andrew Thomas. She will be greatly missed by family and friends. Survivors are daughter, Barbara Tollett and husband Wayne of Neosho Rapids, KS; son, Ronald Thoms and wife Betty of Carlsbad, CA; daughter, Linda Prothe and husband Alfred of Merriam, KS; daughter Loretta Dicke and husband Harold of Paola, KS; 9 grandchildren; 24 great grand children; and 18 great great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the Down Syndrome Guild of Greater Kansas City or the American Diabetes Foundation.