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Lola J. Thomas, 64, of Blair, died Friday, Sept. 27, 2013, at Immanuel Medical Center in Omaha.

Services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1, at the Church of the Nazarene in Fremont. Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Monday at Moser Memorial Chapel in Fremont with family receiving friends from 6 to 8 p.m. The visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church.

Lola J. Shreves was born Dec. 27, 1948, in Creston, Iowa, to Arlon and Esther (Swanger) Shreves.

She graduated from Griswold High School in Iowa in1967. She received her teaching degree at Westmar University in Le Mars, Iowa.

On July 23, 1981, she married Roger Thomas in Fremont, where they lived until 1996 when the family moved to Blair.

She taught Spanish and English at Fort Calhoun High School for 40 years. She also worked part time for H & R Block in Blair.

She was spiritually active as a member of the Church of the Nazarene in Fremont. She enjoyed Bible studies and singing at the church.

Mrs. Thomas was a member of the Acappella Omaha Chorus Chapter of Sweet Adelines International. She was a volunteer at the Fort Calhoun Library and the Washington County Recycling Center in Blair.

She is survived by her husband, Roger, of Blair; son Nick Thomas of Gretna; mother Esther Shreves of Missouri Valley, Iowa; two brothers: Lance (Adrianne) Shreves of Sweet Home, Ore., and Loren (Johnette) Shreves of Missouri Valley; father-in-law and mother-in-law: William and Hazel Thomas of Fremont; and nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her father, Arlon; and brother Arlon Lee.

Memorials may be directed to the Church of the Nazarene in Fremont.

www.mosermemorialchapels.com

Thomas Loved Being Around Kids

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Posted: Tuesday, October 15, 2013: Published in The Pilot Tribune, Tuesday, October 15, 2013

. Article By Teresa Hoffman

Lola Thomas always had a smile on her face.

It's how her husband of 32 years will always remember her, along with her helpful nature.

“If you needed something, she was always willing to help people out,” Roger Thomas said last week as he fought back tears.

Lola, 64, who spent 40 years as a Spanish teacher at Fort Calhoun Junior-Senior High School, died Sept. 27 after a short battle with liver cancer.

Roger and Lola met on a blind date set up by mutual friends.

“She was really outgoing and caring,” Roger said about his first impression of Lola.

Fort Calhoun Supt. Don Johnson also saw those same qualities.

Johnson worked with Lola for about 20 years when he was principal of Fort Calhoun Junior-Senior High School.

“If every kid had exposure to a teacher like Lola Thomas, the world would be a better place to be,” Johnson said. Even in times of conflict, Johnson said, Lola's students respected her.

“She was able to have a conversation with them and they understood what they did wrong and what they needed to do to make things better,” Johnson said.

Her ability to resolve conflicts was also an asset when it came to working on the building's leadership team. Johnson called her a stabilizing factor in the district.

“She came to work every day ready to go,” he said.

Among her many contributions to the district was starting the elementary Spanish program, where one of the seniors would go down and help teach Spanish to the elementary students. Johnson said her students loved and respected her.

Roger said his wife loved teaching, although he said she didn't start off wanting to be a Spanish teacher.

“Originally, when she went to college, she wanted to be a PE teacher,” Roger said. “I can't remember why, but for some reason she changed her major and went to Spanish.”

Lola grew up in Griswold, Iowa., and received her teaching degree from Westmar University in Le Mars, Iowa.

She and Roger lived in Fremont when they were first married. They later moved to Blair. The couple had one son, Nick, who lives in Gretna.

As with all teachers, Roger said his wife would often bring her work home.

“About every other night, she'd be sitting at the table putting grades in the book and making up tests and quizzes,” Roger said.

But, she loved teaching.

“She loved being around the kids,” Roger said.

Her love of teaching and of the students she taught was evident. As she was looking at the family photo albums, Roger said his son's girlfriend noticed that Lola had saved many of the senior pictures students had given her. A scrapbook with some of the pictures was on display during the funeral service.

Lola retired from teaching three years ago. While it was a tough decision, Roger said she told him it was time. “She felt 40 years was enough,” he said.

But he does remember that when school started the next year, Lola did miss it.

“She told me one morning that it feels funny not to get up and go to school,” Roger said.

When she wasn't teaching, Roger said, his wife enjoyed working in the yard, reading and volunteering, which she did at the Washington County Recycling Center and Fort Calhoun Library. She was also an active member of the Church of Nazarene in Fremont where she sang in the choir every Sunday and did a solo once a month.

“She had a beautiful voice,” Roger said.

Johnson said he volunteered with Lola at a ranch camp at Camp Calvin Crest.

“She was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of person,” he said.