Madeline S. Young Thomas was a native of Arkansas and joined the church in March 1951. She was married to William D. Thomas, a Los Gatos realtor and was a resident of Los Gatos for over 30 years. She was an active member of a number of local clubs, including the Saratoga Hill Club, the History Club, and Daughters of the American Revolution. At the time of her death, in January 1957, she had been in a local rest home for over a year with a protracted illness. Her husband; a son, John Preston Young; and two sisters, Mrs. Ida May Kenneday of San Jose and Mrs. S.W. Tappan of Helena, Arkansas, survived her.

In May 1958, the church received a bequest of stock certificates from the Madeline Thomas Estate. In September, faced with the prospect of borrowing additional money to complete the sanctuary, the Board of Trustees decided to sell the stock in 19 different corporations. These funds were utilized to install the organ in the sanctuary and complete its construction.

In 2001, following a search for surviving relatives, the estate was liquidated with the church receiving approximately $800,000. The Madeline Thomas Fund was established and a portion of these funds has been utilized for recent capital improvement projects and to meet current operating budget requirements.

After a search and calls to many long time PCLG members, no additional information about this woman who had such commitment for the growth and mission of PCLG was found. Any additional information you may have regarding Madeline Thomas would be appreciated.

 

 

 

By Bob Ekstrand