Ted Harold Thoman, 99, formerly of Jamestown, KS, died June 16, 2023 in Sunset Nursing Home, Concordia, Kansas. He was born near Aurora, Kansas on December 31, 1923 to Ray Harold Thoman and Jerald G (Kennedy) Thoman. He was the oldest of their 17 children.
Ted graduated from Concordia High School and then served with the 25th Infantry Division in the South Pacific Islands during World War II. After a medical discharge, he attended school for telegraph and worked as a telegraph operator for the Union Pacific Railroad in Colorado and C.B.O. Railroad in Denver.
On August 30, 1945 he married Nettie Jean Carr. They had two boys while living in Denver, Dennis Lee and Gregory Harold, and after relocating to Concordia, Kansas they welcomed another son and a daughter, Lowell David and Lisa Gail.
In 1951 he entered into farming with Robert & Winifred Hanson, now known as Cedar Noll Farm in Jamestown, Kansas. In 1958 he became an irrigation dealer. In 1960 he started farming with his family and started Thoman Sales. He started to retire in 1989 but kept a small cow/calf herd and the irrigation business. As of 1999, he had installed 73 miles of underground pipe in Cloud and Republic counties.
Nettie Jean passed away on November 26, 1998. In 2000 he married Wilma Jean Hopkins, gaining seven step-children. She passed away in 2007.
Throughout his life he served on the Railroad Brotherhood Training Board and the Kansas District 11 school board, Co-Op Service Board, Farmers Union Board, Production Credit Association Board, Zion Baptist Cemetery Board, and Trustee of the Buffalo Township, all of the Concordia and Jamestown area. He was involved in 4H, hosting students from Paraguay, Ireland, and Australia and traveled to each country to visit the students local clubs. He was a member of the VFW, American Legion, and the Moose Club. He enjoyed dancing and traveling. He traveled around the US including Hawaii, and in addition to his 4H travels he visited New Zealand, Acapulco, England, and Ireland.
Ted was preceded in death by his wives; parents; 16 siblings; his son, Dennis Lee Thoman; and step-daughter, Rita Speilman.
He is survived by children, Gregory Thoman (Kathy) of Jamestown, Lowell Thoman (Mary) of Concordia, Lisa Mosher (Steve) of Clyde; step-children Brad Hopkins, Kent Hopkins, Jana Huffman, Lisa Daniels, Tina Huff, and Karen Strait; brother Larry Thoman (Lorrie) of Arizona; many grandchildren, step-grandchildren, and other family members.
A Funeral Service will take place at Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home on Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. with Pastor Earl Hale officiating. Visitation will be on Friday, June 23, 2023 from 1 p.m. to 8:00p.m. with family greeting friends from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Burial with military honors conducted by American Legion Post #76 & VFW Post #588 will follow the services at Danish Lutheran Cemetery, Jamestown, Kansas.
Memorials may be made to the Cloud County 4-H Youth Fund or the Concordia FFA and can be sent in care of Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home, PO Box 606, Concordia, KS 66901. For online condolences please visit, www.chaputbuoy.com.