Thomas Jones, 79, of Hemphill, Texas passed away Thursday, January 7, 2021 in Methodist Hospital-Houston.

Thomas was born July 17, 1941 in Hemphill to Claude Jones and Ruth Kilcrease Jones. He was a lifelong resident of Sabine County and a United States Army Veteran.  He worked for many years as a welder traveling all over the state of Texas where he made many friends along the way.  He then worked at Temple as a millwright where he retired after several years.  After he retired, he kept himself busy working for Inline Traffic Control.

Thomas loved his girls, Tina and Tara and he thought the sun rose and set with his grandson, John.  And when his great granddaughter, Natalie, came along, he would sit for hours just holding her.  Thomas and his late wife, Ruthie, loved to dance.  He was in on the building of the VFW in Hemphill where he and Ruthie were there to open it up for the first time with their many friends.

Thomas is survived by his daughters, Tara Huffman and husband, Ricky, of Hemphill and Tina Jones of Abilene; brothers, James Jones of Channel View, Jesse Jones and wife, Sue Ann, of Sacramento, CA, and Joey Jones and wife, Karen, also of Sacramento; sister, Sue Hogan of Nacogdoches; grandson, John Huffman and wife, Meghan, of Hemphill and great granddaughter, Nataliee Nicole Huffman.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 47 years, Ruthie Jones.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Monday, January 11, 2021 at Starr Funeral Home Chapel, 510 Starr Street, Hemphill, Texas with Bro. Charles Moody officiating and Mary Greer delivering the eulogy.

Visitation will be held prior to service from 10:00 a.m. until service time.

Burial will follow services in Hemphill Cemetery.

Serving as pallbearers are Joseph Hogan, Matthew Hogan, Dustin Stewart, Red Brown, Kenneth Wilson, Hunter Mosley, Bradley Brown, and Steve Johnson.

Honorary Pallbearers are Alfred Waldon, Ralph Vasquez, Robert Hamilton, Curtis Tomlinson and Jim Thompson.

Condolences can be made and guest book may signed online at starrfuneralhome.com.