Julie A. Thomas

Julie A. Thomas, 76, of Cherokee, Iowa, passed away on Thursday, March 5, 2026 at her home in Cherokee.

Born on September 4, 1949 to Melvin and Esther (Klein) Plathe in Granville, Iowa, Julie graduated from Granville Spalding High School. She later graduated from cosmetology school and owned and operated Fantasy Hair & Skin Studio until 1987, when she chose to stay home to raise her three sons. On August 16, 1980, she married Craig Thomas; together they shared 42 years of marriage and raised Aaron, Adam, and Andrew.

A longtime member of Memorial Presbyterian Church in Cherokee, Julie sang in the bell choir, belonged to the EZ Chapter of Tri-T (TTT), and volunteered with the hospital auxiliary. Inspired by her mother Esther and mother-in-law Doris, she became an accomplished quilter, creating pieces with patience and love that were juried into national competitions. She was also an avid gardener and landscaper whose artistic eye brought beauty to every space she tended. Julie found her deepest joy in time spent with family, especially her beloved grandchildren. She cherished travels to their lake home in Longville/Remer, Minnesota, where she loved listening to the loons and taking pontoon rides with Craig, as well as winters at their home in Gold Canyon, Arizona, enjoying the desert blooms and gathering around their outdoor kitchen. An enthusiastic bridge player, she participated in a weekly club and substituted in many others.

Julie was preceded in death by her parents, Melvin and Esther (Klein) Plathe; sisters, Diane Plathe, Jolene Tiedeman and Kim Tiedeman; mother-in-law and father-in-law, Doris and R.J. Thomas; and brothers-in-law, Rodney Buren and William P. Browne.

She will be lovingly remembered by her husband, Craig Thomas of Cherokee, Iowa; her sons, Aaron Thomas of Cherokee, Adam and Paige Thomas and their children, Chelsea, Elizabeth, and Heidi of Cherokee, and Andrew Thomas and his children, Remi, Nori, Reid Jacob, and Ryan Joseph of Cherokee; her siblings, Cheryl Buren of Sanborn, Iowa, Joyce (Larry) Anderson of LeMars, Iowa, and Duane Plathe of Fairmont, Minnesota; sisters-in-law, Cheryl (Robert) Ooten of Costa Mesa, California, and Linda Browne of Manistee, Michigan and Venice, Florida; brothers-in-law, Jim Tiedeman of Orange City, Iowa, and Steve (Lori) Thomas of Cherokee; and many nieces, nephews, and dear friends.