Thomas Allen Thrash

The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at St. Paul/s Methodist Church in Ponca City with the Rev. Ed Coy Light and the Rev. Darryl Hardy presiding. Masonic graveside rites and a Military burial service will be held at Resthaven Sunset Memorial Park under the direction of Trout Funeral Home.

Tom Thrash was born July 23, 1931, in Anniston, Ala., the son of William Thomas and Anna Mae (Durham) Thrash. He received his early education in Anniston and Oxford, Ala. (graduating from Anniston High School in 1949). Thrash enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in Sept. 1950 (PFC) and served during the Korean War in Germany and England and was honorably discharged in April 1954 with the rank of Staff Sergeant. He received the Overseas Occupation, National Defense Service, and Good Conduct Medals. After his discharge he continued his education under the G.I. Bill at the University of Georgia Atlanta.

On Aug. 4, 1956, he married Margaret Elizabeth “Betty” Boyd at First United Methodist Church in College Park, Ga. and the couple made their first home in Atlanta. Thrash was then employed in the computer department Southwest Industrial Electronics in Houston, Texas. In 1961, he was employed by Conoco and transferred to Ponca City in 1965. Thrash worked 31 years in various positions in the Conoco Information Systems Department until his retirement in 1992.

He had been a member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church since 1965, where he was active in the Voyager’s Sunday School class, serving as president in 1973; a member of United Methodist Men; and commissioned as a Stephen’s Minister. Thrash was a past commander of American Legion Post 14 (Ponca City, had also served the Post as Americanism Chairman since 1992. During that time, he served as district chairmen, conducting annual oratorical awards at local, area, district and state levels and presenting American Legion Citizenship Awards to students in area schools for over 25 years. He began his Masonic Lodge membership in Houston in 1963 at Bellaire Lodge 11336 and later transferred his membership to the Ponca City Masonic Lodge 83. In 1992, Thrash was accepted into the brotherhood of the Guthrie Scottish Rite. He enjoyed motorcycle riding and took many trips on this Harley Davidson and Honda Gold Wing Aspencaid. He enjoyed spending time with family and friends.

Survivors include his wife, Betty, of the home; one daughter, Anna Marie Thrash Stone of Ponca City, one son, Wayne Allen Thrash of Ione, Calif.; four grandchildren; one aunt; and several cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, one niece and one great-niece.

Casket bearers will be David Awtrey, Seldon Ballard, Charles Godsey, Delbert Fair, Tom Hanke, Dallas Winter, Burton Casad, and Stan Long. Honorary bearers will be the Stephen Ministers of St Paul’s United Methodist Church.

Memorial contributions may be made to: The Tom Thrash Trust for Oratorical and Citizenship Awards, ℅ American Legion Post 14, 407 E South Ave., Ponca City, OK 74601 or Masonic Lodge 83, 1200 W. Grand, Ponca City, OK 74601, or the Tom Thrash Memorial Fund, ℅ St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Hartford Avenue at Pecan Road, Ponca City, OK 74604.

The family will be at the home at 1800 Cedar Lane, Ponca City, OK 74604.

Obituary Transcription for Margaret Elizabeth Boyd Thrash (Betty):

Margaret “Betty” Elizabeth Boyd Thrash passed away on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016, in Ponca City. Betty was born onObituary Dec. 4, 1933, the daughter of Otis Boyd and Erma Thomas (Boyd) in Atlanta, GA. She grew up and graduated high school (1952) in College Park, a town just outside of Atlanta.

Betty attended LaGrange College (a private all-girls Methodist university). She married Thomas A. Thrash on Aug. 4, 1956 in Atlanta (College Park, Georgia). While in Atlanta she worked for Delta Airlines (and A.F. Irby and Company). Her family moved from Georgia (Atlanta) to Houston in 1959 (October) and moved to Ponca City in 1965 (May). She worked at Conoco (Keypunch Department) for five years and part-time at the Heritage Conoco Museum.

Betty Thrash was a true Southern lady, with a ready smile, a contagious passion for life and a loving positive spirit. She shared her love of life by sharing her diverse talents and interests with her family and many friends.

She loved her church family and she was loved by her church. She was a member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church for 50 years and was involved in the Voyager Sunday School class, St. Paul’s Stephen Ministries, the church choir and the United Methodist Women. Many of the youth knew her as a “second grandmother”.

Among her many interests, she enjoyed sewing and quilting. She was a member of the Pioneer Area Quilters Guild and served as president, was a founding member of the Stitch Sisters Group and the founder of Love Quilts, a group known for making and distributing quilts to children, senior citizens and others in the community. She also served for many years as a CASA non-professional.

Her passion for life was evident in her traveling adventures. She enjoyed vacationing with her husband and children, driving from the East Coast to the West Coast, and later with her grandchildren, to expand their horizons. Travel was for making memories and she treasured the memories with her husband, Tom, whether they were on a weekend jaunt or a cruise. She also loved excursions with her friends and even a “trip to the City” (Oklahoma City, Tulsa or Wichita) could be turned into an adventure. She cruised the Panama Canal with friends, hit the jackpot in Vegas and on the Mississippi River showboats, RV-ed on a fall foliage tour to Canada and toured the cathedrals and gardens in England. She enjoyed numerous other trips and we made so many memories with her.

She had a love for music and singing and a passion for flower gardening, especially roses, which was an interest shared by her mother, sister and daughter. She always found words of encouragement for those she encountered each day and she would her words from the heart through stories and cards. With her extensive computer skills, she made calendars, award certificates, newsletters and spreadsheets for different organizations. Over the years, her talented hands also created beautiful needlework. She quilted, cross stitched, crocheted and knitted keepsake items for her family and friends.

She was a courageous (cancer) survivor and a woman of strength but with a Southern gentleness. Her life was about love. She truly made an impact in the world wherever she went. The memories created from her love of family, friends and life itself will always be cherished. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m on Friday, Jan. 15, at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church as a celebration of her life. As we celebrate her life, the family invites you to wear colorful attire should you choose, as well as traditional suit and tie.

She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, her brother, A.C, Boyd, and her grandson, Travis Stone.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Marie and John Casey of Ponca City; son and daughter-in-law, Wayne and Vicki Thrash of Ochelata; granddaughter, Amanda Pelkey and great-grandson Devin Pelkey (of) Washington; and granddaughter Sarah Thrash of California. (also her sister Jean Boyd Reese).

She is also survived by her extended family Christine Megan and Haley Slaton of Bixby; Joe and Amy Alcott of Tulsa; Rogelio, Nicole, Aubrielle and Addaleigh Briseno of Sapulpa; Jordan and Gabrielle Garner of Evergreen, Colorado; and Brent, Stephanie, Mitchell and Natalie Gault in Singapore.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, please make a donation in her name to National Breast Cancer Foundation, 2600 Network Blvd., Suite 300, Frisco, TX 75034, www.nationalbreastcancer.org or American Cancer Society, http://www.cancer.org/involved/morewaystogive/donate-by-mail-or-phone, P.O. Box 22478, Oklahoma City, OK 73123.

Betty will be dearly missed by her family, friends and the community.