Lillian Marie Thombs

On the afternoon of Tuesday, March 10, 2020, Mrs. Lillian Meadows Thombs, age 90 of Hickory, passed into the arms of Jesus to be in her eternal home at Frye Regional Medical Center in Hickory. The daughter of the late Robert Meadows and Neily Rutherford Meadows, she was born in McDowell County on July 27, 1929.

Lillian was an avid baker and had a strong passion for baking cakes. She had become a local legend with her cakes, creating special moments for anyone who needed one. Lillian also proudly served her community in many capacities through different organizations. A member of Gaston Chapel AME Church in Morganton, Lillian served as a hairdresser for many years, and eventually retired from the state of North Carolina as a corrections officer.

Left behind to cherish her memory are her two children, Celia Thombs Landrum (George) of Lake Lure, North Carolina, and Robert Thombs (Carole) of Texas, and a sister, Cynthia Murphey of Texas. She also leaves behind sixteen grandchildren, and five great grandchildren.

A funeral service to celebrate Lillian’s life and homegoing will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2020, at Gaston Chapel AME Church in Morganton at 3:00 P.M. The family will receive friends from 2:00 P.M. until 3:00 P.M., one hour prior to the service at the church. Funeral Honors will be provided by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety – Adult Corrections.  Interment will follow the service in the Mt. Herman AME Church Cemetery, where she will be laid to rest beside her beloved husband, Kenneth Alvin Thombs.

Flowers are accepted and appreciated.