As stated in this article, funeral arrangements are being handled by
Ranfranz & Vine Funeral Homes
5421 Royal Place NW
Rochester, MN 55901
The date has not been set, but may be Saturday.
Family of Niki Thomas
552 21st St. NE
Rochester, MN 55906
The Rochester Post-Bulletin April 4, 2006
A Rochester woman and her son, missing for nearly a week in Montana, were
found dead late Monday afternoon near their rental vehicle. The suspected
cause of death is hypothermia.
It appears the pair tried to walk for help after their rental vehicle became
stuck on a snow-clogged mountain pass.
"We know they left the vehicle and were not far from the vehicle," said
George Zahhos, the father of Niki Thomas, 51, and grandfather of Nicholas,
15. "We're still in shock and trying to get more information, but at least
we know they were not alone. They were together."
An autopsy is expected to be performed to pinpoint the cause of death.
Funeral services are pending; arrangements are being made through Ranfranz
and Vine Funeral Homes.
Niki and Nicholas Thomas were found near Superior, Mont., in Mineral County.
Niki Thomas, a paraprofessional in the library at Mayo High School, had
traveled to Thompson Falls, Mont., last week during spring break to visit
her youngest son, who was attending Spring Creek Lodge Academy, a western
Montana boarding school. It was a surprise visit and one paid for by Niki's
family, as a birthday present.
The last time anyone heard from the two was last Tuesday as they were
returning to the school from a dentist appointment for Nicholas in Missoula,
about a two-hour trip.
At some point, they took a side road and became stuck in deep snow. Zahhos
said he was told the rental vehicle was out of gas, perhaps indicating they
had run it to stay warm. It was uncertain how long the mother and son had
been dead.
http://findnickandniki.org./