CARMETA JOYE THOMAS SHIELDS
Carmeta Joye Thomas Shields, age 80, the first born child of Lester Earl and Mildred Opal Weddle Thomas, was born on August 19, 1934 at the Hall place west of Grant City, MO. Her parents soon moved to north of Grant City where Lester built and operated a garage and gas station. Carmeta went to kindergarten at the Hass country school north of the station. Later on they moved northeast of Grant City to the Fletchall community. Carmeta attended the rural Fletchall School through the eighth grade. She then attended Grant City High School from 1948 through 1952 where she was salutatorian of her class.
She was employed as a bookkeeper at the F.E. Snowden Lumber Co. in Grant City from 1952 to 1954. She furthered her education by attending North Central Bible Institute in Minneapolis, MN from 1954-1956 where she majored in religious education. She liked to read and learn.
She became the bride of Forrest Wayne Shields of Mount Ayr, IA on November 29, 1958. Magistrate Judge Harry Kibbe performed the double ring ceremony at his home in Grant City. Bowdry Beavers Kibbe was pianist and Corwin Ingram and Shirley Benson were the attendants. The newlyweds then went to their home on the Lester Hoover Farm south of Mount Ayr. They lived there until moving into Mount Ayr in 1967 where they resided until going into the Clearview Home in Mount Ayr in 2012.
Forrest and Carmeta were blessed with two wonderful children, Nancy Ann and David Wayne, the joy of their lives. Nancy married Neal Greenberg, residing in Elkhorn, NE, and they have Ashley and Aaron. Ashley married Mike Denker of Omaha, NE and they have Avery and Tess. David married Kim England and they have Amber, Alicia and April, all of Mount Ayr. Amber married Brian Fooken and they have Trey and Kenleigh.
Home and family were the most important things on earth to Carmeta. She dearly loved babies and children. The grandchildren and great-grandchildren loved to come to grandma’s house to play with the big collection of toys and baby dolls. They loved to eat grandma’s bacon gravy over hot biscuits, homemade noodles and sugar cookies from Christmas cutters.
Carmeta raised many gardens and canned many quarts of vegetables. Tomatoes were her favorite. She loved flowers, especially lilacs and peonies.
Carmeta was a good seamstress and made many beautiful clothes for her family. She also loved photography and took many photos of her family. She was employed at the P.M. Places store in Mount Ayr from 1974 to 1983.
Carmeta accepted Jesus into her heart when she was a young girl. She attended the Fletchall United Brethren Church where Grace Thomas, her grandmother, was pianist. Grace taught Carmeta to play the piano. Eventually Carmeta played the piano at church. Carmeta was baptized by Rev. C.W. Lucus. Later Carmeta attended the Grant City Assembly of God Church, where she met Forrest, and played the piano. She loved good music.
Carmeta loved her family with all her heart and wants them to meet her in heaven. She wanted you to know how much she loved you and that you were her happiness.
Carmeta passed away December 28, 2014. In addition to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, she is survived by a sister, Mrs. Bill (Donna) Smid of Wilmington, Illinois and family; brother Bill Thomas of Omaha, Nebraska and family; Aunt Hazel Thomas of Albany, Missouri and sister in-law, Freda Shields, of Mount Ayr.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Forrest, on May 16, 2012 and nephew, Rick Winter.
