Howard M. 'Tommy' Thomas

Hastings resident, Howard Tommy M. Thomas, 71, passed away Thursday, December 30, 2010, at Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital, Hastings, NE. Services will be Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at 10:30 AM at First St. Pauls Lutheran Church, Hastings, NE with Rev. Joel Remmers officiating. Burial will be in Parkview Cemetery, Hastings, NE. Visitation will be Monday, January 3, 2011 from 12 noon to 9 PM with the family present from 6 PM to 8 PM at the Brand-Wilson Funeral Home, Hastings, NE. Condolences may be sent to the family from www.brandwilson.com. Tommy was born June 29, 1939 to Howard D. and Dorothy E. (Snyder) Thomas in Hastings, NE. He graduated from Hastings Senior High and he was a student at Kearney State College. He served and was honorably discharged in the Army National Guard from July 30, 1959 to July 23, 1962. He married Neoma L. Jensen on December 27, 1959; she passed away September 17, 1994. They raised 5 daughters in Hastings, NE. Tommy lived in Hastings, most of his life. He owned and operated Tommys Market and later opened a western store called T-Bar-L, which fit right into his love for horses. He and his family owned and showed horses. He enjoyed traveling and meeting many wonderful people through all his years of employment. These included insurance sales, shoe sales and working at the Hastings Casket Company. His most recent job was with Brand-Wilson Funeral Home, as a funeral assistant, he especially enjoyed the relationship he had developed with Bob, Murray and staff. Tommy was an avid sports fan and enjoyed attending many sporting events, especially anything that involved his grandchildren. Some of his favorites were, Hastings College Broncos, Hastings Tigers, Adams Central Patriots, Lincoln East Spartans, all the many soccer, basketball, midget football, skateboarding, wrestling, t-ball, baseball, softball, bowling, and go kart racing and anything that had to do with his grandchildren and of course the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He was also a score keeper at the Smith Softball Complex. Tommy was a heart transplant recipient and received the 54th heart transplant from Bryan LGH, Lincoln, NE. He was a member of the First St. Pauls Lutheran Church and Hastings Masonic Lodge #50, Scottish Rite, and the Tehama Shrine, where he was a former member of the clown unit, all in Hastings, NE. He was also a member of the Seconds for Life Organ Donation and was a TeamMates Mentor. He is survived by 5 daughters, Kristy Ehlers and husband Scott, Vicky Carmack and husband Paul, Becky Sadd and husband Jerry, Wendy Hanson and husband Colby, and Kelly Benway and husband Jay. 14 grandchildren, Tommy, Alyssa, Megan, Brooke, Adam, Blake, Heath, Michael, Nicholas, Taran, Trista, Taylor, Grant and Kyle. One sister, JoAnne Thomas, cousins, Brenda Kirkland and Rev. Tom Young, brother-in-law, Jack Greenlee and wife Linda, great nephew Jay Greenlee, and great niece, Terri Williams. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Neoma, an infant grandson, mother and father-in-law, a niece, sister-in-laws and aunts and uncles. Memorials may be given to familys choice.