1938
Mack
2005
Mack "Chief" Thomas
April 8, 1938 — August 17, 2005
"Chief" passed, after a 5½ year hard fought battle with kidney cancer, on August 17th at home with his loving family at the age of 67. He was born April 8th 1938, the first born child to Johnson Bailey and Lillian Freeman Thomas and a descendent of the last Indian Warrior, Chief Chitto (Crazy Snake) Harjo and Lt. Col. Earnest Childres, the recipient of The Congressional Medal of Honor from WWII.
Mack began at the age of 6 to play the pedal steel guitar. His family known as, The Thomas Indian Family, traveled together playing beautiful music on tour and they produced three albums. They performed on the Ed Sullivan Show, at the Seattle World Fair the New York World Fair, Carnage Hall and the Grand Ole Opre. He did a lot of studio work; by himself, with his brother Riley and several musical groups. He wrote and recorded many songs. A warrior until the end of his trail, Chief touched the souls of many playing Inspirational Music with his steel guitar. He was the first Native American to be inducted into the Dakota Music Hall of Fame in 1993. As an inventor he worked with Simi Mosley and they made the Mosrite guitar. He played background for the Adventurers in the early 1960s. He also taught guitar to Barbara Mandrell when she was a child.
In 1973 he met and married Constance (Connie) Doerr. They bought a bus which became their home for two years as they toured and played with many Gospel groups including: The Statesmen Quartet, the Oak Ridge Boys, The Amigos and The Lundstrom Crusade Team.
Along with music, pipeline work was a big part of his life he operated heavy line equipment such as a sideboom. They moved to Alaska to work on the Trans Alaska Pipeline. He also performed with music groups in between working on the pipeline. After 10 years they moved back to CA for pipeline work and to play music. They eventually returned to Ashley, ND to be near his beloved in-laws, Walter and Viola Doerr. Later Mack, Connie and their son Justin traveled again, this time on pipeline jobs. He finished pipelining on the Alliance line in MN & ND and then making their home in Fargo.
Chief is proceeded in death by his parents and one sibling, Katie. He is survived by his wife, Constance; children, Deborah Andres of Seattle, WA, Kim Brown of Anchorage, AK, Johnson B. Thomas of San Clemente, CA, Shauna Thomas of Santa Ana, CA, Justin Thomas of Vancouver, WA; brothers, Riley Thomas of Merrieto, CA, John Thomas of Anaheim, CA; sisters, Moni Thomas of Riverside, CA, Kogie Thomas of Fullerton, CA, LaVona King of Anaheim, CA and Virginia Thomas of Okmulgee, OK; and aunt Katie Smith of Coweta, OK and uncle Robert Freeman of Okmulgee, OK, along with 7 wonderful grandchildren.
Visitation: Today, Friday (8/19/05) from 5 - 8 PM with a Masonic Service at 7 PM
Korsmo Funeral Chapel, Moorhead, MN
Memorial Service: Saturday (8/20/05) at 10:00 AM in Korsmo Funeral Chapel, Moorhead
Mack began at the age of 6 to play the pedal steel guitar. His family known as, The Thomas Indian Family, traveled together playing beautiful music on tour and they produced three albums. They performed on the Ed Sullivan Show, at the Seattle World Fair the New York World Fair, Carnage Hall and the Grand Ole Opre. He did a lot of studio work; by himself, with his brother Riley and several musical groups. He wrote and recorded many songs. A warrior until the end of his trail, Chief touched the souls of many playing Inspirational Music with his steel guitar. He was the first Native American to be inducted into the Dakota Music Hall of Fame in 1993. As an inventor he worked with Simi Mosley and they made the Mosrite guitar. He played background for the Adventurers in the early 1960s. He also taught guitar to Barbara Mandrell when she was a child.
In 1973 he met and married Constance (Connie) Doerr. They bought a bus which became their home for two years as they toured and played with many Gospel groups including: The Statesmen Quartet, the Oak Ridge Boys, The Amigos and The Lundstrom Crusade Team.
Along with music, pipeline work was a big part of his life he operated heavy line equipment such as a sideboom. They moved to Alaska to work on the Trans Alaska Pipeline. He also performed with music groups in between working on the pipeline. After 10 years they moved back to CA for pipeline work and to play music. They eventually returned to Ashley, ND to be near his beloved in-laws, Walter and Viola Doerr. Later Mack, Connie and their son Justin traveled again, this time on pipeline jobs. He finished pipelining on the Alliance line in MN & ND and then making their home in Fargo.
Chief is proceeded in death by his parents and one sibling, Katie. He is survived by his wife, Constance; children, Deborah Andres of Seattle, WA, Kim Brown of Anchorage, AK, Johnson B. Thomas of San Clemente, CA, Shauna Thomas of Santa Ana, CA, Justin Thomas of Vancouver, WA; brothers, Riley Thomas of Merrieto, CA, John Thomas of Anaheim, CA; sisters, Moni Thomas of Riverside, CA, Kogie Thomas of Fullerton, CA, LaVona King of Anaheim, CA and Virginia Thomas of Okmulgee, OK; and aunt Katie Smith of Coweta, OK and uncle Robert Freeman of Okmulgee, OK, along with 7 wonderful grandchildren.
Visitation: Today, Friday (8/19/05) from 5 - 8 PM with a Masonic Service at 7 PM
Korsmo Funeral Chapel, Moorhead, MN
Memorial Service: Saturday (8/20/05) at 10:00 AM in Korsmo Funeral Chapel, Moorhead
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