Son of Fredrick Edwards Thomas and Susanah Sanders. His mother was born and died in Tydfil, Glamorganshire, Wales. His father married Margaret Rees and immigrated to Utah.

Married Ann Parry, daughter of Jeremiah Parry & Mary Ann Jones on 23 December 1881. They are the parents of 10 children, Josephy Parry Thomas, Thomas John Thomas, Fredrick Parry Thomas, Arthur Parry Thomas, Elizabeth Ann Thomas, David Richard Thomas, Gwenllian Parry Thomas, Alonzo Parry Thomas, Jeremiah P Thomas, Josephine Parry Thomas.

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On May 1, 1900, an errant spark touched off the fine haze of coal dust deep underground and the Winter Quarters #4 mine exploded with fury (See Scofield Mine disaster). Exactly 100 of the men were killed in an instant and another 99 died from the poisonous afterdamp, making this one of the worst coal mine disasters in history. Death came so swiftly that some of the mineworkers were found still clutching their tools. That one moment of time left 105 widows and 270 fatherless children behind. Almost 150 of the slain miners were buried in the cemetery in nearby Scofield and two special funeral trains carried the rest of the victims to burial grounds in Utah and in other states.

Joseph and his son Joseph Parry Thomas, age 18, his 2 nephews, Evan Davis Thomas, age 26, and Frederick Davis Thomas, age 20, were killed in the Scofield mine disaster on May 1, 1900. Joseph's youngest daughter, Josephine Parry Thomas was just five and 1/2 months old when he died.

Joseph was originally buried in Scofield, UT and on November 25, 1933, members of his family had the Wheeler Mortuary of Springville re-inter the remains of four of the family from Scofield to the Spanish Fork Cemetery. (The 4 reinterred were Joseph, his father Fredrick Edwards Thomas, son Joseph Parry Thomas and daughter, Elizabeth Ann Thomas)

View Cenotaph here