Country music performer (“Natchee the Indian” who played a mean fiddle); performed Cowboy Copas who died in the Patsy Cline airplane crash. They had a falling out. Lester is included in the book “Cowboy Copas and the Golden Age of Country Music (ISBN 9781931672481) by John Roger Simon, p 106. He was born near Louden, Adams County, Ohio in 1913. Lester divorced when his son was about 2. Not an amicable split. Son (born in 1941) was told his father was dead. Son and father met in 1970 when Lester was dying .

Thomas was near Cincinnati to pick up a new ambulance. He called Larry King radio show and I’m trying to find my dad. Can anyone tell me where he is buried. Ten minutes later a policeman called and said he had arrested a drunk named Natchee in the drunk tank. He went there and was reunited (p 343).

Dad was originally named “Natchee, Jr.”. Thomas’ mother renamed him after the divorce.

Brenda remembers her grandmother was cold and conservative. But as young woman called herself Naomi and performed with Natchee. In fact, they were even married on stage.

Was flown to Santa Clara California by “angel” so he could spend the last few months of his life with his son. In hospital, Natchee conned a nurse to take him into her home and care for him after his death.

Thomas met Donna a few month’s after his dad died.

Thomas’ dad had just died, his 4th wife had left him and left him with an empty apartment (except for Xmas tree and painting of a “creepy” clown) and his mother wouldn’t talk to him because he had reconciled with his dad.