Mary Aline McDonald Thomas

Mary Aline Thomas of Sunnyside, Washington, died peacefully at Seton Hospital in Austin, Texas June 3, 2014. Mary was born on September 10, 1922 at Parker, South Dakota. The daughter of Edward and Hazel (Ervin) McDonald. She was 9l at the time of her passing.

Mary joined her parents, two brothers and husband Hoyt in heaven. Mary's family lived in South Dakota until the depression forced the family to move to Washington State in 1936. Mary attended Sunnyside HS and while there met the love of her life, Hoyt A. Thomas. They were married in April of 1938 and had three sons: Larry H. (Marjory) Thomas, Douglas G. (Carolyn) Thomas and Robert J. (Diana) Thomas, all of the children were born in Sunnyside, Washington.

They moved to Portland, Oregon prior to World War II. They remained in Portland during the war and returned back to Sunnyside, Washington at the conclusion of the war in 1946. They purchased the farm that belonged to Hoyt's parents and farmed asparagus and other crops until they sold the farm in the early 1980's. Hoyt became operations manager at a winery and Mary worked at numerous jobs during their years off the farm.

They traveled extensively after retirement in both travel trailers and self-contained RV's. After the farm was sold, they built a home and remained in the area. Hoyt died in 2002 and Mary remained in the home until it became too much to care for. She sold and moved to a retirement home in 2007. In 2012 she moved to Austin, Texas to be closer to two of her sons. She remained in Texas until her passing. She will be buried with Hoyt in Sunnyside, Washington, as per their arrangement.

Mary is survived by seven grandchildren, Candace Betz, Patrick Thomas, Jill Hooker, Heidi Schulte, Michael Thomas, Faith Cuminato, and Rob Thomas. Seventeen great-grandchildren survive along with two sister-in-laws Margie McDonald and Jeanne McDonald.

Mary was a life-long member of the Catholic Church. A memorial mass will be held at 2:00 PM Monday June 9, 2014, at Emmaus Catholic Church 1718 Lohmans Crossing Austin, TX, 78734 with burial and a funeral mass in Sunnyside, Washington.