Obituary of Thoma Mauldin

Thoma Mauldin February 08, 1928 - May 18, 2017 Funeral services for Thoma Mauldin, 91, of Lovington, NM will be held on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at 10:00 am at Jackson Ave Baptist Church with John Curry and Dave Rowser officiating. Burial will follow at Lovington Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Kirby-Smith-Rogers Funeral Home. Thoma was born on February 8, 1926 in Roby, Texas to David Crockett and Lois (Pair) Rister and passed away on May 18, 2017 in Lubbock, TX. She grew up and graduated in Hawley, TX then attended Texas Womens University in Denton, TX, majoring in education. She came to Lovington and taught English at Jr High level. She met Earl B. Mauldin and they married on September 23, 1949 in Lovington and shared sixty years together. Thoma was a devoted and loving homemaker and a mom who raised all of her wonderful children and was involved in their lives. Later she became the office manager for their plumbing and trailer park business. She and Earl were very active at Jackson Ave Baptist Church and would go and plumb for the Mission Service Corp in NM and also helped out in Maryland one summer for Camp Wo-Me-To (Women & Men of Tomorrow). Thoma was an avid WMU member and served many years as a Sunday School teacher until the past year. She and Earl helped remodel Baptist camps, such as Sivils and Inlow and made many mission trips to help. They took their six children and families on family trips, one family at a time, in the “faithful ole van” so that they were able to share exciting experiences with their kids and grandchildren. One of Thoma’s greatest joys was reading and spending time with her family. She was the family “prayer warrior” and was the epitome of a Christ- like mother, wife, grandmother, friend and Christian. She lived what she taught and will be greatly missed by her family and her friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Earl, one daughter: Kathryn Elaine; one brother: D. C. Rister; two sisters : Rebecca Morrow and Wanda Spieler. Surviving her are two sons: David and wife Susie Mauldin of Lovington and Richard and wife Denise Mauldin of Roswell, NM; four daughters: Carol and husband Robert Floyd of Lovington; Jeanie and husband Glenn Gainey of Kermit, TX; Lynn and husband John Curry of Junction, TX; Shelley and husband Eddie Carter of Sundown, TX; fourteen grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Visitation will be held on Monday from 11:00 – 7:00 pm with the family here from 5:00 – 7:00 pm at the funeral home.