Wilda M. Thomas

Wilda Mae (Whipkey) Thomas, a resident of Shawnee, passed away on Friday, August 30, 2024 in McLoud, Oklahoma at the age of 87. Wilda was born on August 2, 1937 in rural Lincoln County, Oklahoma to Leonard Oscar Whipkey and Doshia (Caudill) Whipkey.
Wilda grew up and attended 1st through 8th grade at Happy Valley School. She then moved to Cushing High School where she graduated in 1955. She started her first job at Earl Bray Trucking as a billing clerk, in Cushing, OK on the day of her high school graduation in 1955. She later worked at Cushing Municipal Hospital first as a switchboard operator and later in medical records. Her family moved to Shawnee in the fall of 1967, and she assisted in opening the radiology billing office for what became Wilson, Wisdom and Phillips of Shawnee from 1968 until 2000, approximately 32 years as a devoted and valuable employee.
Wilda married the love of her life, Donald Walter Thomas on September 23, 1955 in Cushing, Oklahoma. They were happily married until Don's death on May 28, 2018. Wilda was instrumental in forming the Oklahoma Bluegrass Club and served the organization as its founding secretary. She also served as the editor for the Bluegrass Gazette for many years. In the early 1970's, Wilda and her husband, Don, started an annual bluegrass festival which was held at Western Hills Lodge in Wagoner, OK. Wilda's last year to work this festival was 2022. This festival is still in existence today. Wilda was active in her church, the First Christian Church of Shawnee. She worked as Treasurer and she was a key component of their annual Pumpkin Patch. She loved her church family. Most of all, Wilda was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandma and Gigi to her family and she will long be remembered as a sweet, sweet lady.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Donald W. Thomas; her mother and father; two sisters, Wilma Flatt and Shirley Boyd; four brothers, Kenneth Whipkey, Glenn Whipkey, Quentin Whipkey, and Boyd Whipkey.
She is survived by her favorite daughter, Karen Thomas of Shawnee; three sons, Steve Thomas and wife Jeanne of Shawnee, David Thomas and wife Teresa of Shawnee, and Russell Thomas and wife Kathy of Oklahoma City; by eleven grandchildren, Jeremy Thomas, Annie Wackerly, Kenny Thomas, Amber Johnson, Lauren Thomas, Cindy Thomas, Randy Thomas, Chloe Thomas, Nick Thomas, Marianna Avila, and Leah Peters; 13 great grandchildren and many other extended family and good friends.
The family would like to thank the amazing care Wilda and her family received from Choice Hospice of Shawnee, the "Jelsee" team in particular. The Choice Hospice providers and staff are the best!!! A special thank you to one of Wilda's great granddaughters, Skylar Johnson, for lovingly helping care for her Gigi during her last few days of life and helping Hospice with her postmortem care.
The family will have a Celebration of Life Service for Wilda on Friday, September 6, 2024 at First Christian Church, 1625 N Broadway, Shawnee, OK at 2:00 PM. Arrangements are under the direction of McElyea & Owens Funeral Group in Shawnee.
 

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