Alberta Alease Stewart Thomas was born May 1, 1914 to the union of Noah Stewart and Ella Cobb in Oxford, Ohio. After the death of her parents, her uncle, William Cobb, brought her to St. Louis, Missouri to live with his family and her beloved grandma, Mandy.
Tookie, as she was lovingly called, came from a good Baptist Christian home. She was educated in the Indianola Public Schools. She attended Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi, one of the oldest historically black colleges in the United States, and Tucker’s Business College in St. Louis, Missouri, were she studied Bookkeeping. Alberta worked for the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, as a cashier and bookkeeper in the St. Louis office; Cardinal Ritter Institute, as a Senior Aide; and the Urban League, as a receptionist.
Alberta was united in Holy Matrimony to Joseph Thomas, a Linotypist for the St. Louis Argus Newspaper, on July 29, 1939. They were blessed with three sons: Llewellyn (Lou), Reginald (Joe Reg), and Ewell. Her husband, Joe and oldest son, Llewellyn preceded her in death.
Alberta believed in prayer and faith in God. It helped her “tough it out” when tragedy and sorrow had struck. She was a dedicated person giving all she had to help others. In 1961, Alberta was baptized by the most Reverend Charles R. Koester and became a Parishioner at St. Ann’s Church. Being a faithful Catholic, Alberta served as Lector, Proclaimer, and Commentator at both St. Ann’s Shrine Parish and Visitation-St. Ann’s Shrine Parish. At St. Ann’s Shrine parish she worked in leadership positions with the annual Novena, the Parish Council, President of Ladies Sodality, Pro Life Program, Legion of Mary organization, Chairman of World Affairs Mission, Chairman of renew Program, and Parish Representative to the North Deanery. She was regular in attendance at Mass and other church activities as long as her health allowed. In January 1999, Alberta was one of a few selected to meet and shake hands with Pope John Paul, II at Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.
Organization affiliations: the National Congress of Parents and teachers; President, Riddick Elementary School PTA; helped organize Marshall School’ s PTA; President Sumner High School PTA; Missouri PTA; St. Louis Council of PTA participated until 1995); Sally Stewart Study Club; Tuckers’ Business College Alumni; March of Dimes Telethon; worked on political campaigns for both Congressman William (Bill) Clay, William (Lacy) Clay and Comptroller Darlene Green; The St. Louis Sentinel Newspaper Annual Fashion Show; and the National Council of Senior Citizens.
Awards and Honors: Certificates of Merit-National Congress of Parents and Teachers, St. Louis Public Schools Sumner-Beaumont District, Top Ladies of Distinction; Sigma Gamma Rho, Zeta Sigma Chapter Humanities Award; Cardinal Ritter Institutes Service Award; Phi Delta Kappa, Alpha NU Parent of Distinction Award; Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Xi Zeta Chapter, Service Award, St. Charles Lwanga Center, Community Award; The Metro East Chapter of Women of Achievement, Inc., Profile of Prominence Award; the Sentinel Charities, Inc. Distinguished Service Award; and the Most Reverend Justin Rigali (Archbishop of St. Louis), 38 Years of service to the agency of Catholic Charities.
Alberta departed this life Saturday, March 30, 2013.
Alberta leaves to cherish her loving memory: two sons, Joseph Reginald (Adrienne) Thomas, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Ewell Thomas; eleven grandchildren; twelve great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; daughters-in-law, Georgia Thomas, Lillie (Mickey) Sloan, LaVerne Pollard, and Karla hays; special extended family, Alice McHugh, Loretta Jones, Gwendolyn Pennington and Verdelia Ridley; and a host of other relatives and close friends.
