Reba Jackson Thomas

Reba Jackson Thomas

Reba Jackson Thomas, age 76, of Greensboro, GA died Thursday, August 23, 2007 at Gwinnett Medical Center in Duluth, GA. Born September 9, 1930 in Apalachee, GA she was the daughter of the late Pierce and Musette Carson Jackson of Madison, GA. She attended schools in Morgan County and was a star guard on the Madison High basketball team, graduating with the Class of 1948. Reba attended Bessie Tift College in Forsyth before returning to Madison to work for Southern Bell as a telephone operator. Howard Thomas bet her a coke they would get married, and sure enough, they married in March of 1952. They moved to Winston-Salem, NC where she continued to work as an operator until the birth of Laura Ann in August, 1954. Later that year they returned to Greensboro and lived at ''The Thomas House" in the bedroom to the left of the front door with Will Howard and Lila Thomas. In 1956 they moved into an apartment rented from "Poppa Brooks" until their house could be built. They moved into 506 West Elm Street on Christmas Day following Bill''s birth in September 1957. Reba was a full time mother and housewife. She loved working in her yard and tending her flowers and vegetable garden. Her barbecued chicken, barbecued deer, coleslaw and homemade cakes were well-known in the community. She loved to make banana pudding for the grandchildren. She was active in the start-up of Nathanael Greene Academy and was always working on craft items to sell at fund-raisers for the school. She was a charter member of the NGA Grandparents Club and was a major contributor of recipes to "Granny''s Good Cooking" as well as buying many cookbooks as wedding gifts for family members and friends. Reba enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren. They often had impromptu camp outs on the sofa-bed wearing Poppa''s white t-shirts for pajamas. A real treat was for her to take them fishing at Aunt Margaret and Uncle George''s. As the grandchildren got older, she enjoyed attending their sports activities until her emphysema was too bad for her to be outside. Reba enjoyed the fellowship of her Pizza Hut Lunch Bunch friends. Before Howard died and after, she met with her buddies every day at Pizza Hut to chew the fat and solve all the world''s problems. They were a great support system for each other and she is the second one of the bunch to pass away. In 2005 she and her cat, Baby the black cat from Hell, began to stay with Laura in Duluth where she was "Granny" to all the neighbors. They all brought their dogs over for treats and to check on Granny, and all the dogs gave her a kiss before leaving each time. She was loved and often visited by the neighbors and Laura''s church family. They all admired her for being a spunky little lady. If there is one message Reba wanted to pass along, it was "If you don''t smoke, don''t ever start. If you do smoke quit."

She was preceded in death by her husband, Howard Thomas in 1998. Survivors include a daughter, Laura Verner of Duluth, GA; a son and daughter-in-law, Bill and Lilli Thomas of Greensboro, GA; grandchildren, Stuart and Casey Thomas of Watkinsville, GA, John and Susan Satterfield of Greensboro, GA and Jacob Thomas of Greensboro and Tifton, GA; sister, Peggy Hendrix and brothers and sisters-in-law, Charles and Mary Jackson and Terrell and Ernestine Jackson all of Madison, GA and a number of cousins, nieces and nephews.

Funeral Services will be held on Sunday, August 26, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. at The Hall-Thomas House with Rev. Wayne Usry officiating. Interment will follow in the Greensboro City Cemetery. Serving as pallbearers are Milton Jackson, Richard Walters, Sonny Hendrix, Stephen Coppenger, Randy Parks, Daniel Pennington and Dale Thomas. The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturday night at the historic Hall-Thomas House. The family requests that in lieu of flowers that donations be made to the American Cancer Society, 1684 Barnett Shoals Road, Athens, GA 30605. McCommons Funeral Home, 109 W. Broad St., Greensboro, GA, (706) 453-2626, is in charge of arrangements. Visit us at www.mccommonsfuneralhome.com to sign the online guest register.

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