[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 18, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E229]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING OMAHA ICON AND COMMUNITY LEADER RUTH PATRICK THOMAS DURING 
                         WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

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                             HON. DON BACON

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 18, 2026

  Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today during Women's History Month, to 
recognize and honor the late Mrs. Ruth Patrick Thomas, an Omaha icon 
and pioneer for the North Omaha community. Living a wonderful and 
blessed 105 years, Mrs. Thomas's life was marked by service and love 
for all, touching the hearts of many, in each of the various roles she 
maintained.
  Graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1943, Mrs. 
Thomas wed Mr. Francis Thomas the same year and joined him in caring 
for the home and family business, the Thomas Funeral Home. Active in 
the community, she also devoted her efforts to the League of Women 
Voters for nearly 2 decades, directed the YWCA, and focused on 
cultivating kinship within her neighborhoods.
  Beyond her service to others, Mrs. Thomas championed many milestones, 
such as being one of the first board members to vote in favor of 
desegregating Omaha Public Schools, first of three women at Zion 
Baptist Church to be appointed to deaconess, and in 1954, enrolling and 
graduating from the College of Mortuary Science in St. Louis as the 
only female and African American person in her class.
  Her lifetime of accomplishment has been recognized by the NAACP with 
the NAACP Freedom Fighter's Award and with the Diamond Award bestowed 
by the Delta Epsilon Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority 
Inc., for over 75 years of service.
  Mr. Speaker, I offer my deepest condolences to the family and North 
Omaha friends of Mrs. Thomas on her passing, and I stand with pride to 
have had such a wholesome and selfless person be a part of developing 
my community.

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