White Funeral Home
1315 Main Street
Jesup, Iowa 50648

Jesup – Cornelia Hallie Thomas, 100, of West Liberty, IA, and formerly of Jesup and Newton, IA; died Thursday, July 31, 2014, at Simpson Memorial Home, West Liberty, IA.  Graveside services will be held 11:00 a.m. - Tuesday, August 5, 2014, at Garden of Memories Cemetery, Waterloo, IA.  Visitation will be from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Monday, August 4^th at the White Funeral Home, Jesup, IA, where there will be a 7:00 p.m. Order of Eastern Star Service.  Memorials will be directed to the family or to Iowa City Hospice, 1025 Wade Street, Iowa City, IA  52240, or to Simpson Memorial Home, 1000 North Miller Street, West Liberty, IA  52776.

Cornelia Hallie Thomas was born January 3, 1914, in Clark County, Missouri, the daughter of Charles Henry Riley and Sarah Cornelia (Northrup) Riley.  She graduated from high school in Revere, Missouri.  She then was united in marriage to Kenneth Luther Thomas, December 25, 1934, in Kahoka, Missouri.  They made their home in Waterloo and then on a farm north of Jesup.  After a move into town in 1950 they spent summers on a farm northwest of Independence and following Kenneth’s death in 1992, Cornelia continued wintering in Texas and spending summers on the farm.  Eventually selling the Texas home, she moved to an apartment and later to an independent living unit in the Park Centre Retirement community at Newton, IA.  Her last six months were at Simpson Memorial Home in West Liberty, IA, where she moved after her 100^th birthday.

Over the years Cornelia was an active member in her church.  She and Kenneth made major commitments to support the Methodist church in Jesup and McAllen, TX.  She held life membership in the Order of Eastern Star; she became an extraordinary cook and baker; was a skilled seamstress; and loved reading and gardening.  She and her husband Kenneth were blessed with three children and following retirement they were able to travel across America taking many pictures of it’s beauty.

Cornelia is survived by one daughter, Beatrice (Edward) Merritt of Woodville, Alabama; one son, John (Linda) Thomas of Coralville, IA; 7 grandchildren, Tom (Jamie) Merritt of Roanoke, VA, Charles Merritt of Chicago, IL, Benton (Lisa) Merritt of Enid, OK, Troy R. Thomas of Homestead, IA, Chad (Chris) Thomas of West Liberty, IA, Bill (Heidi) Lange of North Liberty, IA, Donald (Karen) Lange of Britt, IA; 10 great grandchildren, Justin (Virginia) Merritt, Nicole Lange, Dalton Lange, Chaise Lange, Paul (Cassandra) Lange, Timothy (Holly) Lange, Cornelia Martin-Thomas, Arza Martin-Thomas, Brianna Merritt and Lillian Merritt; one great great-granddaughter, Beth Ann Lange; one sister, Julia Mukhalian of Bellevue, WA.  In addition to her husband Kenneth, who died June 30, 1992, she is preceded in death by her parents; one daughter, Beverly in 2002; four sisters, Jaunita Carothers, Virginia Schwartz, Maude Adams, Lulu Riley; and one brother, Henry Riley.