Barbara (Loken) Thomas  
Barbara Ann (Loken) Thomas
Married to Rodney C. Thomas (LHS Class of 1953) for 50 years
Children: Michael David Thomas, 48, Belleview, Florida, Kristin Ann Smith, 44, Grainger, Indiana, Linda Sue Shelton, 41, Anderson, South Carolina. Five Grandchildren.
WORK: First job, raising my children. I was office manager for my husband's engineering firm.
I'm a wife and a Mom - no retirement there!
Interests: All the time my kids were growing up, I was a "swim team Mom," getting up at 5:00 AM to get them to workouts, then again after school, getting them to and from workouts, sometimes at three different pools! We attended every meet to cheer them on, and they did quite well. We had swimmers for 19 years. To add "interest" to carpooling, our older daughter traded swimming for ballet, and I sometimes was picking her up at 11:00 PM from rehearsals. We have great memories of those times. Throughout this period I attended University of Nebraska and University of South Florida as an art major. Don't look for any of my work in the museums!
When the kids were older and in college, I started raising, training and showing dogs -- boxers to be exact. I had some success -- several champions, and we did go to Westminster once, didn't win, but we were there! Dogs were my passion for about twenty years, and Rod will tell you they still are my obsession!
I have continued to draw and paint, taking occasional classes and also took up quilting, doing "real" quilts and also art quilts for which I have gotten several awards. In the last few years I have started wood carving, taking classes at a folk school near our home.
For the past fifteen years, Rod and I have been able to do some traveling. We've been to quite a few countries in Europe, the Caribbean, almost all the states, and are looking forward to our 50th anniversary cruise to the Baltic in June. This is a first for us, as we always have traveled on our own before. On our 50th wedding anniversary we will be in St. Petersburg, Russia!
Significant Event in our life:
Our most painful loss was losing our second son, Scot Kevin shortly after his birth. I guess parents always remember and think about what might have been. He was loved.
Life Changes: I think I've carried the integrity and values my parents instilled in me throughout my life. I've found I'm very stubborn about doing the right thing, not the easiest or popular thing. I think political correctness has been derailed by a few people who are interested only in getting themselves noticed, not in truly solving problems.