Sister, wife, mother, grandmother,

great-grandmother —

Educator

A Century Later, Remembering Eunice Holman Thomas

by Jordan Troutman

Eunice Thomas and her students at the Quaker Rural School during the 1939-1940 school year. 

Cassville in 1929, 1932, 1940, 1954, 1983 and 2022 all have one unique thing in common — Eunice Thomas.

Eunice Thomas directly left of the sign that was erected in 1983 to honor her service in the Cassville school district. 

Eunice Thomas helped many organization in Cassville and Barry County through her years, starting the Cassville Head Start was one of those activities. 

Parents often take photos to commemorate the huge milestone of their children's first day of school. For Cassville students, that photo is most likely taken in front of the primary building next to the sign that reads, "Eunice Thomas Elementary School."

This sign, erected in 1983, was placed to honor Eunice Holman Thomas, a pillar in the Cassville school district.

Hundreds of photos will be taken before this monumental sign as the 2022-2023 school year begins this August.

While the sign has a deep meaning that continues in 2022, the history of Eunice Thomas began more than 100 years ago, on January 12, 1913.

Eunice Thomas teaching a classroom during her 40 years of service to students.

The following information is based on the Memorial Tribute written for Eunice Holman Thomas by her children, Jo Ellen Henderson, Sara Nell Lampe and John Robert Thomas.

Birth and Childhood

Eunice Thomas was born at Rock Creek on January 12, 1913.

She was the fourth of eleven children, seven girls, and four boys, born to W.H. and Samantha Holman.

Eunice Thomas attended a one-room schoolhouse in Mano, Missouri, until her family moved to Cassville in 1929.

From that point, Eunice Thomas began a journey in the Cassville school district that would last for more than a century.

Eunice Thomas graduated from Cassville high school in 1932.

After graduation, she attended Monett Junior College, earning her teaching certificate.

Becoming a Teacher

Eunice Thomas accepted a position to teach at the Quaker Rural School in 1934 and continued teaching grades one through eight until 1940.

However, in 1940, eight years after graduating from Cassville, Eunice Thomas resigned from the Quaker Rural School. She took a position with the Cassville R-4 School District teaching sixth, seventh and eighth grade, as well as high school girls' physical education.

Eunice hit another milestone when she became Cassville's principal for grades one through eight in 1944.

In 1949, after a five-year hiatus, she organized and taught the first kindergarten class at Cassville, which became an official program in 1966, allowing all children to attend without tuition.

In 1954, Eunice Thomas was hired again by the Cassville School District as Principal for grades one through eight. All while teaching language arts and art classes.

After her son was born in 1957, Eunice Thomas earned her Master's Degree in Elementary and administration from the University of Arkansas. Eunice earned 70 hours above her Master's Degree.

Eunice started parent-teacher conferences, Cassville kindergarten grade, and nurse access in Cassville school through the years. She wrote a grant to support individualized learning in Cassville schools and monies for other innovative programs and personnel.

Love and Family

Eunice Thomas married Aubrey Thomas on August 22, 1937.

However, in 1945 she had her first child, Jo Ellen, and took some time to enjoy motherhood. After three years, her second daughter, Sara Nell, was born. And in August 1957, Eunice Thomas had a son, John Robert.                                                                                                                         

Community Involvement

While motherhood came first, and her passion for education was important to her, Eunice managed to carve a path of accomplishment through the city of Cassville and Barry County.

Those accomplishments include:

• Seven Valleys Extension Club
• P.T.A.
• Business and Professional Women's Club later becoming Woman of the Year
• Barry-Lawrence Regional Library, serving as Library Trustee for 51 years
• Silver Leaf Benefit Club
• Celestia Club No. 81
• W.M.U. president for the First Baptist Church

Eunice Thomas believed that a student was the most important person in and out of the school system.

She was also known to say, a happy child is a learning child.

In 1983 her lifelong work in the Cassville school district and community was honored by renaming Cassville Elementary School to Eunice Thomas Elementary School.

Eunice Holman Thomas touched many lives before her death on December 3, 2005.



As a parent who walked her daughter into Eunice Thomas Elementary school for her very first day of school in August 2019, it is clear that the legacy of Eunice Thomas continues to sweep through the halls, into the classroom, and shape every student that walks past the sign that displays her name in front of the building.