Donna Lea Thomas

Services are 10 a.m. Friday, May 7, in Montgomery-Viets Chapel with the Rev. Greg Stewart and the Rev. Claire Reed officiating. Recorded selections of music will be played. Burial is in Lindley Cemetery under the direction of Montgomery-Viets Funeral Home of Buffalo. Escorts are Bill Chapman, Tom Gargus, Frank Keith, John Kerbaugh, Carl Foster and Lewis Phillips. Click image to enlarge Donna Lea Thomas, Bufflao, was born Jan. 30, 1936, near Williford, Ark., the third of five children born to Morgan and Linnie (Zieger) Smith. She died May 3, 2010, at the age of 74 years, 3 months and 3 days. As a young girl she received Jesus as her Lord and Savior at a brush arbor revival and helped build the meeting house for Ozark Acres Baptist Church. The church was organized as a result of that revival and located on land donated by her uncle, John Smith. Her family, church and school were the center of her life as she grew up. She enjoyed singing specials in church with her little sister Mae and brother Gene as well as playing basketball on the Williford High School team. She graduated from high school in 1954. She moved to Kansas City and worked as a waitress, factory worker, laundry attendant, child care giver and numerous other jobs. She married Robert Jones in 1956, and four children were born of this union. She was a member of Rockwood Baptist Church in Independence, and raised her children to know and love Jesus as she did. She married Leon Thomas in 1970. She met him when he was matched with her boys through the Big Brothers of Greater Kansas City program. He became her lifelong love, next to Jesus, as well as dad to her four children and the additional child born of this union. They moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa, in 1985, where she continued to work as a child daycare provider and was a member of Ridgecrest Baptist Church. They moved to the home her husband had grown up in northeast of Buffalo in 1991. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Buffalo for a number of years and was most recently a member of Windyville Baptist Church until the time of her final move to her home in Heaven. Her greatest desire in life was to be a good witness for Jesus. She was well-known for her card ministry and as a prayer warrior. She loved her family, her church and nature. Grandma’s moon will be one of many precious memories. Her family and friends will miss her good meals and special favorite dishes always prepared with lots of love. She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Mae; her brothers-in-law: Mickey and Ralph; her grandson, Shane; her uncle, John; and her nephews: Jimmy and Brett. Survivors include her husband of 40 years, Leon Thomas; two sons: Rick and wife, Shirley Jones, Grain Valley, and David and wife, Tami Jones, Blue Springs; three daughters: Vickie and husband, Darrel Dugan, Phillipsburg, Patti and husband, Ralph Allen, Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Becky and husband, John Imes, Hollister; 15 grandchildren: Brian, Jeff, Timmy, James, Charles, Kyle, Katie, Jeremy, Holly, Kent, B.J., Matthew, Ben, Brittany and Dylan; 10 great-grandchildren: Kurt, Anna, Isaiah, Blake, Cody, Devon, Hailey, Brandon, Patience and Heidi; two sisters: Vera Tucker, Cave City, Ark., and Lucille and husband, John Willmore, West Frankford, Ill.; one brother, Gene Smith, Williford, Ark.; one sister-in-law, Sharon and husband, George Adams, Steelville; one brother-in-law, Lynn Thomas, Macks Creek; her aunt, Lucille Byrd; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends who will miss her greatly

Donna Lea Thomas

January 30, 1936 - May 3, 2010