PARKERSBURG, Iowa — Thousands of mourners gathered Monday to remember a slain high school football coach as a man of faith who believed in leading by example.
Family, friends and former players packed into a church, community center and parking lot for the funeral for Ed Thomas, the 58-year-old longtime coach at Aplington-Parkersburg High School who was gunned down Wednesday in the school weight room.
Pastor Brad Zinnecker of First Congregational Church said the huge turnout was a testament to Thomas’ faith.
"They recognized a man after God’s own heart,” Zinnecker said. "His personal life and public life were one and the same.”
The number of mourners easily topped the roughly 1,800-person population of Parkersburg.
One of Thomas’ sons, Aaron Thomas, told mourners his father would have wanted the community to "get going” after his death and to do something to improve the town. He recalled that in May 2008, after Parkersburg was struck by a tornado that wiped out about one-third of the town and killed six people, Ed Thomas was a key leader in pushing for the recovery.
Aaron Thomas urged mourners to wake up today with a renewed sense of purpose. He said finding time for small tasks can make a difference.
Authorities have charged Mark Becker, a 24-year-old former player at Aplington-Parkersburg, with first-degree murder. He remained in the Cerro Gordo County jail.
by the associated press
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