Every three years since 2007, the descendants of Thomas Corwin Thomas and Eva Cane, who married in 1875 in Illinois and settled in Gresham, gather to rekindle family histories, stories and current happenings.
The union of T.C. Thomas & Eva produced seven children, Grace J. Thomas, Louis F. Thomas, Mary (Minnie) A. Thomas, George C. Thomas, Samuel(Roy) Leroy Thomas, Oscar Milton Thomas Sr, and Clara A. Thomas. Of those children, four stayed in the Gresham, Rising City, Osceola and Seward areas to raise their families.
This year’s reunion was held Sept. 3 at the homestead of the late Oscar Milton Thomas Jr., northwest of Prescott, Ariz. His widow Marge Lindstrom Thomas and family welcomed 56 Thomas descendants. There were two families with large attendees — those from Vernon Thomas and Oscar Thomas Jr.
The youngest attendee, at 5 months old, was Parker, the great-grandson of Vernon & Nell Thomas family. The oldest attendee, at 90-years-old, was Patsy Large Kelly, granddaughter of Mary (Minnie) Thomas.
Descendants traveled from Mississippi, North Carolina, California and Arizona. The potluck meal had a variety of dishes with many great recipes. Desserts were plentiful and topped with homemade vanilla ice cream! The Thomas family invites all descendants to join the next reunion being hosted by Michael Thomas (Vernon’s son) in Phoenix, Ariz., in November 2025.
