Jiggs made his joyful trip into heaven on October 24, 2023, at 9:39 p.m. after 16 months of pain and suffering from being stricken with COVID in May of 2022. St. Peter met him and said “Come on in, you ornery rascal. Welcome home.” His wife, Nona, was holding his hand and family was also with him.
Jiggs started his journey into life being born on February 21, 1940, to parents, Clarence Elmer Thomason and Laura Adalene (Marlowe) Thomason. He was the fifth born of seven children and was born in the original Marion General Hospital at 19th and South Washington Street in Marion, Indiana.
Jiggs was a very inquisitive and curious child. He was always ambitious and eager to experiment and test life.
The year he started 1st grade at age 6 or 7 at Highland Avenue Elementary School, he got his first job picking up the trash at the original 949 Drive-In in North Marion. He always said he was the only one in his class with loose change in his pocket, which he found in the drive-in parking lot.
The Farm Bureau Co-op was only 1 ½ blocks away from his home. In the spring after the Co-op had sold all of the baby chicks that they could, they would put the leftover ones out back for trash pick-up. Jiggs would ride his bike to that place, pulling his wagon, and gather them. He took them home, raised them, and sold them in the neighborhood for dinners. He was about 10 at the time, always eager and busy.
A railroad was across the street from his home. He took his trusty bike and wagon once more and would gather up the coal that bounced out of the train coal cars. He sold it to the neighbors for their coal-burning stoves. He also gathered broken glass and sold it to Foster-Forbes, the glass factory behind his home. He was about 12. He also had his daily paper route all this time all over North Marion.
When he was 13, he was gathering odd parts from the alleys to use on an old chassis and motor sitting in his backyard from brother-in-law, Lew. He was able to get the car running, using an orange crate for a seat. He drove it up and down the alleys of North Marion, always busy.
He went to Washington Junior High and was outstanding in basketball, setting records that were still unbroken when the school closed. He loved basketball, as well as track and shot putt, setting even bigger records.
About that time, he went to work at Rosie’s Little Italy on North Branson. He did all kinds of jobs and continued there until 17. He told the Lindley Box Paper Products factory he was 18 and then started his first factory job.
He left Lindley Box after two years and went to work at Owens-Illinois in Gas City. Each time he upgraded to higher wages and got more experience in life. He was always setting goals to do better for his family someday than what he had.
Just before leaving Lindley Box, he met Nona Smith, a car hop at Dog n Suds Drive-In. They dated for four years and got married on May 27, 1962, by Rev. Robert McFarland at the Pentecostal church when it was located on South Adams Street. They just celebrated 61 years.
The following November, Jiggs got his notice to report to the United States Army. He reported on January 6, 1963, to Ft. Knox, Kentucky, for basic training and at Ft. Lee, Virginia; Ft. Gordon, Georgia, for tank training; Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, for MP training; and eventually Ft. Carson, Colorado. He was always upgrading and getting experience. On January 6, 1965, Jiggs was honorably discharged as Specialist Sergeant E-5 from the Army.
On his return to Marion, he went back to Owen-Illinois and, seven months later, to Fisher-Body General Motors in Marion. He worked there 30 years, retiring on June 6, 1995, as General Foreman Supervisor. He only missed five days in 30 years.
In April of 1997, he and Nona took the jobs of working at and promoting the Gas City I-69 Speedway. Jiggs also had many other jobs there and, five years later, was manager and promoter of the racetrack. He had tremendous respect for racing because, for many years prior, he had raced at Anderson Speedway, Montpelier Speedway, and Gas City.
After 17 years of running the track, making incredible friendships, and supporting the field of racing, he and Nona decided to retire from there, which was 2013. Always going every Friday to watch racing became a regular routine.
Back in the early ‘60s, he got a group of friends and co-workers and started a city softball and slow-pitch team, sponsored by Rosie’s Little Italy. They played many local teams and played in many towns around Marion, traveling distances. They won many trophies and had such great times, making long-lasting friendships.
His love for family and doing with them was always very important to him. He always found time for outings, programs, sports, and supported them in all they did.
He also always found time for playing golf, usually averaging a 37. He found time to ride motorcycles for many years, traveling to lots of different sights to see, with Nona on the back, again making lots of friendships.
When he was 12, he got his first rifle, and he would ride his bike to lots of woods near his home, which are housing areas now, and bring home squirrels and rabbits for the table.
In later years, he hunted on extended trips–elk, deer, caribou, and moose. This went on until he was in his later 70’s. He was always bringing home food. He hunted with nephews and his son, John, and, at times, different friends. They were always great adventures.
Jiggs is still a current member of General Motors Sympathy Club, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Ft. Wayne, Mizpah Shrine Temple, American Legion Post #10, Gas City Moose Lodge #1778, Masonic Grand Lodge #109 Jonesboro, and Samaritan Grand Lodge #105 F and AM of Indiana. He has been a member of all of these for almost 50 or more years. He was also a long-standing member of Elks of Marion at one time.
Jiggs will always be a strong memory in our minds, with lots of fun stories to tell and share. His stories when he told them could hold an audience for hours with lots of laughter.
He had an extremely quick wit and tremendous sense of humor. When he entered a room, family gatherings, friends, anywhere, he brought that incredible wit and personality into the room. He never met a stranger and will be so missed.
He was loving, ornery, strong, caring, extremely hard-working, an admired brother, valued friend, trusted colleague, and incredible husband, father, and “PaPaw”.
His love for family, and later grandchildren and great-grandchildren, was always important. He called them all “his Buddys”. He always said he wanted his family to have more than he had when growing up, so he worked many extra hours and went the extra mile to try to provide.
He never met a stranger and always helped with a loan or a hand anytime he could. He and Nona would be doing a job or assisting someone, etc., and they called themselves the “Thomason Team” to each other and smiled as they finished.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Adalene Thomason; brother, Marvin Thomason; brother, Wayne and wife, Barbara Thomason; sister, Glenna Biven; sister, Norma and husband, Lewis Adamson; sister, Ramona and husband, Albert Lawson; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, and nieces.
He is survived by his wife, Nona, of 61 years; son, John (Beth Ann) Thomason; daughter, Joarta Armstrong; granddaughter, Lesley (Cory) Godfrey; grandson, Logan (Becca) Pritchett; granddaughter, Lyndsey Williams; grandson, Brad (Natalie) Thomason; granddaughter, Megan (Curtis) Manternach; 11 great-grandchildren; and sister and brother-in-law, Kay (Muffin) and Robert Mauller.
The family will receive visitors from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm on Saturday, October 28, 2023, at Needham-Storey-Wampner Funeral & Cremation Service, North Chapel, 1341 N. Baldwin Ave, Marion, IN.
Immediately following the time of visitation, a funeral service to celebrate Jiggs’ life will begin at 1:00 pm with Pastor Tom Mansbarger officiating. Burial will take place at Gardens of Memory in Marion.
Memories may be shared online at www.nswcares.com.
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