More about Lorene Thomas

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>THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL
>
>MRS. THOMAS WAS IN THE WINGS ON CIVIL RIGHTS STAGE
>Date: WEDNESDAY, February 9, 2000
>
>Section: News
>
>Page: A14
>
>Source: By Michael Erskine The Commercial Appeal
>
>Memo: obituary
>
>Edition: Final
>
>
>
>As her family thrived in the entertainment limelight, Lorene Thomas quietly
>worked for decades behind the scenes to keep the local civil rights movement
>on track.
>
>Mrs. Thomas, wife of Memphis music legend Rufus Thomas, died of heart
>failure Monday at Baptist Memorial Hospital.
>
>She was 80.
>
>In addition to her husband, she leaves her son, Marvell Thomas, and
>daughters, Carla Thomas and Vaneese Warnceke, all of whom followed in their
>father's musical footsteps.
>
>"So many know the family . . . better because they're in the limelight. I
>know Lorene as the driving force behind all their success," said longtime
>friend Maxine Smith, former executive secretary of the Memphis Branch NAACP.
>
>"She was such a strong and supportive mother and wife. She made many
>sacrifices to make sure that all of those who were in the limelight in her
>family looked good," Smith said.
>
>In 1997, Mrs. Thomas, a retired nurse, was honored by the local NAACP branch
>for 40 years of faithful membership.
>
>Mrs. Thomas served as correspondence secretary of the local NAACP for more
>than 25 years. She was particularly successful in membership drives,
>bringing in more new members during that time than anyone else in Memphis.
>
>Smith said Mrs. Thomas was active in every phase of the civil rights
>movement: picket lines, voter registration and membership drives and
>fund-raisers.
>
>"Anything, everywhere, Lorene was there," she said.
>
>"She was as close to sainthood as anybody I know. She gave so much of
>herself to so many people without ever expecting any kind of return. She
>gave it because of her greatest asset: her love for people."
>
>Mrs. Thomas was on the NAACP board when retired Criminal Court Judge H. T.
>Lockard was president in the 1950s. He remembers her as a tireless worker.
>
>"She was just on top of everything. She was such an advocate of what the
>branch stood for . . . and of course everybody listened when she got up to
>speak."
>
>Mrs. Thomas, a member of New Salem Baptist Church, also leaves one
>grandchild. All of her children live in Memphis, except Warnceke, who lives
>in New York City.
>
>R.S. Lewis and Sons Funeral Home has charge.
>
>
>To reach reporter Michael Erskine, call 529-5857 or E-mail
>ers...@gomemphis.com
>
>
>
>
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