First Half 2025

 2025

 

Mary Ann & Gerald

 

The first half of 2025 has gone by so fast that I have not kept up my blogs very well.  March was all about our annual mission to Nepal for Kingsway Fellowship Conferences in Kathmandu, Gurkha and Pokhara. It was a fruitful yet tiring trip. Ruth went with me this time. We arrived back into the USA on the 24 th of March only to learn that my Brother Jerry passed away that morning. After a few days of rest, I flew to Fayetteville Arkansas and rented a car to drive to Stilwell Ok for Jerry’s funeral. It was supposed to be a graveside but got moved to the chapel due to thunderstorms. Gerald and Joshua Thomason came also. We went to Jerry’s house and looked the situation over. He did not have many possessions of any value so we got a few things that had sentimental value. I drove his pickup truck home. I did some repairs on it (a/c, brakes, etc) now I am deciding whether to keep it or sell it. 

In May I went to Medellín Columbia for a few days with evangelist Joshua Heines for pastors and soul winners training. 

Gerald’s wife Mary Ann has been fighting cancer for over four years. She turned worse this spring and passed away on June 6. Ruth and I drove from Jacksonville to Amarillo for her Memorial Service on June 12th then drove to Tennessee for Ruth’s grandson Aiden Donohue’s wedding to Grace. Then Fathers Day at the Donohues with Bobby’s family, Bobby and Amy Jenkins and their family and Bobby’s Brothers and Sisters from Savannah. It was a house full. We make our drive back to Jacksonville on Wednesday. All of this plus pastoring our wonderful Cornerstone Church family in Jacksonville. 

https://www.kesterfunerals.com/obituaries/Jerry-David-Thomason?obId=40085091

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/mary-ann-thomason-obituary?id=58592996

BROTHER JERRY

MY BROTHER JERRY PASSED TO HIS ETERNAL HOME ON MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2025. HE WAS 77 YEARS OLD. RUTH AND I GOT THE NOTICE WHILE ON OUR WAY HOME FROM NEPAL AFTER TWO WEEKS OF CONFERENCES IN THE UTTERMOST PART OF THE WORLD. HEARING OF JERRY'S DEPARTURE KIND OF HIT ME HARD. YOU ARE NEVER REALLY READY FOR SOMEONE TO DIE WHO HAS BEEN A FIXTURE IN YOUR LIFE. HE BEING THREE YEARS OLDER, HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE. ALWAYS WITHIN REACH BY TELEPHONE. THIS CONSISTENCY DEFINES JERRY WELL. HE LIVED HIS LIFE FAITHFULLY AND DEPENDABLY. THIS EARNED HIM PROMOTIONS ON THE JOB AND THE TRUST OF EVERYONE IN HIS WORLD.  ALTHOUGH WE LIVED A THOUSAND MILES APART, I TALKED WITH HIM BY PHONE OFTEN. HE WAS ALWAYS EXCITED ABOUT GOING TO HEAVEN. WELL, HE IS THERE NOW! I AM HAPPY FOR HIM. MY RECOLLECTIONS OF GROWING UP WITH JERRY AND BEING BROTHERS AS ADULTS COULD FILL A WHOLE BOOK. LET ME JUST SAY HERE THAT HE WAS A GOOD BROTHER AND A BIG HOLE IS LEFT THAT NO ONE HERE CAN FILL. LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR REUNION IN HEAVEN.