Lillian Etta (Gower) Thomas, 91, of Bokchito, Oklahoma, was born on September 22, 1934, in Bokchito to William Wilson Gower and Zona (Rose) Gower. Lillian passed away peacefully in Denison, Texas, with family by her side on May 13, 2026.
Nicknamed Snookey by her family and friends, Lillian married Jessie Lee Thomas in Sherman, Texas, on December 19, 1953. Lillian worked at Southwestern Bell and Shepp’s Dairy both in Dallas, Texas, and worked at M.C. Easter’s, Shady Grove Store & Station, owned Lil’s Hobby Shop, was a Bokchito Tag Agent, and was a bookkeeper for the many rental properties that she and Jessie owned while she lived in Bokchito. She was a graduate of Bokchito High School, and a member of the Albany Baptist Church and Eastern Star. She gave her life to the Lord on December 24, 2006, and she was baptized with her son Danny on June 10, 2007.
Lillian enjoyed reading in her younger days, traveling, cooking, watching Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, and the Dallas Cowboys playing football. She loved working on family history, crafting, labeling everything she owned, and printing out pictures from Facebook of every single person whom she knew and loved. Everyone knew her favorite drink was Pepsi and she credited her long life to it. In her later years, she looked forward to going to the casino and getting to play on her favorite machine, The Lucky Duck.
Lillian is preceded in death by her parents, her spouse Jessie Lee Thomas, her son David Thomas, grandson Trent Thomas, sisters Evelyn Potts and Ora Lee (Dolly) Gaither.
Lillian is survived by her son, Danny Thomas; granddaughter, Leslie Spencer and husband Cody; great-granddaughter, Rachel Spencer; great-grandson, Sam Spencer; daughter-in-law,Connie O’Brien and husband George, all of Bokchito; a brother-in-law; several sisters-in-law; nieces; nephews and cousins.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 16, 2026, at Albany Baptist Church. Pastor Clark Harp will officiate. Interment will follow in Bokchito Cemetery with Ed Rose, George O’Brien, Cody Spencer, Sam Spencer, Ricky Hall, and Donald Haddix serving as pallbearers. The family will receive friends at the Funeral Home on Friday evening from 6-8 p.m.
Arrangements are under the direction of Brown’s Durant Funeral and Cremation Service.