Thora May Shinn, age 94, a former resident of Iola, Kansas, and more recently of Uniontown, Kansas, passed away Wednesday, March 31, 2021, at the Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kansas. She was born March 5, 1927, at her grandparents’ home south of Bronson, Kansas, the daughter of Roy Nichols and Mabel Watson Nichols. Thora graduated from the Bronson High School with the Class of 1944. Following high school, Thora took the train to Kansas City and worked for a time at Fred Harvey’s Restaurant in Union Station.
She married her high school sweetheart, James O. Shinn on January24, 1946, after he returned home from serving in World War II. They later settled in Iola, where Jim worked as a barber and Thora worked as a phlebotomist at the Allen County Hospital. Thora enjoyed genealogy and compiled several books of family history on both her family as well as her husband’s side of the family. She also enjoyed bowling. Following Jim’s death on October 30, 2011, Thora moved to Uniontown to be near her son, Alan, and his family. She attended the First Missionary Baptist Church of Uniontown.
Survivors include her sons, Alan Shinn and wife, Becky, of Uniontown, Kansas and Jack Shinn, of Pittsburg, Kansas, six grandchildren, Kevin Shinn (Diana), of Uniontown, Kansas, Melissa Gage (Jason), of Louisburg, Kansas, Crystal Shinn, Brett Shinn (Miriah), Tabitha Shinn and Amber Sanchez (Matt), all of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and ten great-grandchildren, Emily Jefferies(Austin), Holly Richwine (Dylan), Lauren Shinn, Brayden, Bryce and Brock Gage, Blade and Aiden Feather, Nichole Schwermer and Shi Anne Sanchez. Also surviving is a brother, Don Nichols of Wichita, Kansas. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by a son, Mark Shinn, and two sisters, Reta Jones and Margaret Ruckman.
Rev. Marty Dewitt will conduct graveside services at 2:30 P.M. Wednesday, April 7th at the Turkey Creek Cemetery north of Uniontown. The family will receive friends at the First Missionary Baptist Church in Uniontown on Tuesday from1:00 P.M until leaving for the cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the First Missionary Baptist Church or the Bronson Alumni Association at FSCC and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook atcheneywitt.com.
