Dan Bruce (1960)

Sandra Thomas was one of the first friends I made at S.R. Young Elementary School when my mother and I moved to College Park in 1949. She sat next to me in Miss Hobgoods third-grade class. I felt she was a "celebrity" since she was the daughter of L.F. Thomas, the meteorologist who I heard give the weather report on WSB radio's "Morning Merry-Go-Round" show hosted by Bob Van Camp each morning. My condolences to her family. 

Walter T (Tommy) Fields (1960)

Judy Thomas ((Mitchem) Holley) (1957)

September 2, 2023. Thank you so much, Dan and Tommy, for sharing your memories of my sister, Sandra Thomas on this CPHS website. It was very thoughtful and kind of you. Thank you for your kind words,Tommy.I, too, found Sandra to be helpful and always ready to listen when I wanted or needed to talk with her. We remained the best of friends throughout our lives and helped each other, as much as we could, with all the difficulties each of us faced, as we raised our children, maintained our homes, and worked to make our way through life and reach some of our dreams!
     I believe Sandra accomplished at least many of her dreams. She was a musician, a wonderful mother, a precious sister, a loving grandmother, aunt, cousin and friend, but also a librarian. Sandra spent unbelievable hours on her computer researching, collecting, and documenting our family ancestry.
     I went with her on one of those excursions into South Carolina and on into North Carolina. We searched for libraries and cemeteries for miles on end. She took pictures at the graveyards of ancestors going as far back as the Revolutionary War! We took photos of the homes of previous aunts we had visited as children. We visited with one of our first cousins, Ann, a daughter of Uncle Austin Thomas, and later took her with us for dinner (or supper, as Mother would say!).
     We even met with several distant cousins that she had met online; we had “tea” with a Garner distant cousin, and met with another one, no the Thompson side at the gravesite of a younger sister of our mother. Mother had told us long ago that her baby sister had died as a toddler with pneumonia. Another gravesite held the remains of our firstborn brother who had expired very shortly after his birth. In spite of the burial grounds, it really was a fun and informative holiday together I cherish the memories.
     Eventually, Sandra published a book, using much of her research information. The book contains pictures and texts about our Thomas and Blalock ancestors and relatives; the Thompson and Garners, the Lambeths and the Warwicks, and many more surnames going back all the way to their immigration into America from Europe.
     We visited the town of Thomasville, GA, founded by our great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather. (Might have too many “greats” in there!). We each purchased a book in the Thomasville Library written about the history of Thomasville, beginning with pictures, documents and other information about the founder, John Warwick Thomas. We found the gravesite of his father, Robert Thomas, with an American flag to signify and honor his service in the American Revolutionary War! Remember the first battles in 1775-1776? Robert Thomas was a veteran! He died in 1810. I hope I haven’t bored you; certainly I don’t mean to!
     Dan, I must be a “celebrity” as well, being the only other daughter of Lewis Fred Thomas who reported, on WSB (and CBS, I believe, or maybe it was ABC), concerning the weather of the day! ( I’m joking, of course; there is nothing that qualifies me as a celebrity!). Anyway, along with Mother, my brothers, Sandra, and I gathered around the radio and listened to L.F. Thomas give his weather report...twice a day! Of course, as I’m sure you’re aware, our father worked with one of the Federal Government Agencys, not with WBC!  
     Our daddy” was a Civil Servant, an employee of the National Weather Center (Service). A meteorologist! Listening to him over the radio was both awesome and amusing for us. I have one, maybe two, of the weather maps that our father drew, by his own hands, (no computers or “electronics” back in the 30’s and early 40’s, as well as I remember.) The meteorologists had to create their own weather maps with all the troughs, fronts, wind currents, etc. ( I know nothing about drawing weather maps, or about the weather). It was necessary, back then, in order for them to determine and report the local weather and in the southeastern United States. I’ll try to post one or two in my Photo Album.....Maybe!
     Sandra and I were close, only three years apart! We played together as children, and seldom fought with each other. Together, we kept the older boys at bay (Mother assured us that we were certainly capable of doing so); we often included the younger guys in most of our games.
     Both of us loved to read books, children’s magazines, as well as fables and fairy tales that we found in our BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE home library. In fact, Sandra and I learned, at the same time, how to read! It was when I was in first grade and she was only about three years old! We would sit or lie down together and I would read to her what I was learning in school, so she learned right along with me! Once in a while she would call out a word before I could speak it aloud! To me it was amazing! She loved it!
     There’s s a picture, somewhere, that I took with my Kodak camera of Sandra spread out on the floor reading the newspaper! And I’m not talking about just the “funny pages!” To me, it proves that some children can learn to read elementary words when they are as early as three year’s old. Not all, of course, but some. I’ll bet my brother, Joseph Thomas, has that photo! He is a professional cinematographer and has a large collection of photographs. (I’m joking with you, Joe!)  
     Well, that’s enough today. Please forgive or overlook my errors with punctuation and/or other grammatical “stuff.” I’ve forgotten just about everything I ever learned! I am lost in this technological world we live in. Still trying to learn before I can no longer learn!
     Thanks, to all of you who gathered with our family and friends as we celebrated Sandra’s life! I was so blessed to have a few minutes to visit with Linda Hart and Linda Waggoner after the service. Thank you, ladies, for taking the time and effort to make that trip. Wish we’d had more time together! Again, I am expressing my thanks to you, Dan and Tommy, for sharing your memories with our family and high school friends about my “one of a kind” and only sister, Sandra Ruth Thomas, whom I miss and love very much. Will be following you, Dan and Tommy; Linda H. and Linda W., as well as others from the class of 1960. (As Mrs. Cochran once said, “It may be the last year of the ‘good’ years!”) Come see us in Panama City, Florida!  
                                                                        Your classmate friend’s sister, Judy T.M. Holley (CPHS 1957)

Judy Thomas ((Mitchem) Holley) (1957)

So sorry, if I clobbered you with endless words! You have my permission to delete it, and eat your supper if you wish. If you haven't already deleted it! Just felt the need to relate some of what, I feel, is important and remarkable information about Sandra, about her childhood and her adult life that you may not know. There is much more I didn't include, of course! Anyway, I tried to format it to be easier and more enjoyable reading. ( You know, paragraphs, spacing,  indentations, things like that. But it had its own way in the end. It is what it is! I have so much to learn, and time is not on my side! Bye, for now! Judy