Madeleine THOMAS

THOMAS, Madeleine (Ninin) After 91 years on this Earth, Madeleine (Ninin) Thomas went to meet our Lord in Heaven on August 4th, 2017. While we wish her time here with us would have been longer, we are comforted knowing she was welcomed with open arms, by her husband Thomas, her son Tommy, and sisters, Marcelle and Andree, who were waiting to greet her. Born in Belgium on November 10, 1925, Madeleine experienced life one would think they could only read about in history books. When the turmoil of World War II began, Madeleine was sent across country borders to collect unused food rations from extended family members, being sure to hide the rations when she returned across the border. With so many countries sending their military into Europe during that time, daily interactions with soldiers was a common occurrence. But as fate would have it, Thomas Teixeira Thomas, a US Army soldier stationed in France, was the one among many that stood out. After a brief, but meaningful courtship, Thomas and Madeleine were married on July 7, 1945 in France. Thomas brought his bride to America, settling in California, to start their new life together and raise a family. Thomas and Madeleine cherished being married to each other for over forty years before Thomas' passing in 1989. Never the one to sit idly by, Madeleine devoted much of her time to volunteering and fundraising. She was active with the Veterans of Foreign Wars and for the last 18 years, served as President to the Sebastopol VFW Auxiliary. She spent time in soup kitchens, was an active member of Autumn Leaves and belonged to the Young Ladies' Institute. She put her skill as a an exceptional seamstress to good use by sewing dolls for fundraisers and making children's blankets and clothing at Birthright International. In addition to her charitable works to various humanitarian and religious organizations, Madeleine enjoyed being the matriarch of her family and leaves behind a legacy. She is survived by her three children Theresa Gentner (Richard), Joseph Thomas, Suzanne Dennis (Robert), her eight grandchildren Diane Hughes (Tom), Thomas Thomas (Dawn), Mark Aldridge (Heather), Patrick Thomas (Candice), Brian Thomas (Brittany), Cerin Holes (Clint), Carly Dennis (Ryan), Cassandra Farren (Chris) and her eight great-grandchildren, Justin Hughes, Bobby Jean Payne, Brandon Thomas, Nick Hughes, Dylan Thomas, Zachary Aldridge, Madeleine Aldridge and Lilliana Thomas. There will be a void in our hearts that Madeleine once filled. We will never know someone who could tell stories like hers. We will never know another Oakland A's fan with her same level of enthusiasm. There will never be another person you could just sit and enjoy the quiet with. There is so much about her that will be missed, it would be impossible to list all of it. Rosary service will be held at Pleasant Hill Mortuary in Sebastopol on Monday, August 14th at 6:00 p.m. There will be a funeral Mass at St. Sebastian's Catholic Church in Sebastopol on Tuesday, August 15th at 11:00 a.m. Burial will immediately follow the service at Druids Cemetery in Occidental. A reception will follow the burial at St. Sebastian's Church Hall. Those who are not going to the cemetery may wait at the hall. Memorial donations may be made to the VFW Sebastopol Chapter 3919 at: 282 High Street, Suite 100A, Sebastopol, CA 95472.