Clara (Hightower) Thompson (1959)

HIGHTOWER, THOMPSON, WILLIAMS

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler
Date: 1/18/2009 at 09:23:32

Earlham Library Collection
Earlham Echo
July 1959

Clara Hightower Thompson, oldest daughter of Samuel M. Hightower and Elizabeth Smith Hightower, passed away July 3 at her home in Glendora, California at the age of 94.

She was born at Salem, Henry county, Iowa, December 13, 1863 and came to the Earlham community with her parents when she was one year old. This was before the town had been established.

In the year 1888 she was united in marriage to Silas E. Thompson who passed away in 1929. One son, Ralph H. Thompson was born to this union.

While here she was a very active worker in the Earlham Friends Church. Mrs. Thompson, to the last day, was vitally interested in all types of Christian work.

She and her husband moved to California in 1925 and she lived in Los Angeles until 1944 when she moved to Glendora and lived there for the past 14 years.

She is survived by her son, Ralph H. Thompson and two grandsons, Duane and Curtis of Santa Barbara; a nephew, Dr. Kenneth E. Williams of Des Moines and a niece, Elsie Williams of Earlham; one sister, Miss Alice Hightower, one brother, Clyde Hightower, and a niece Dr. Harriet E. Hightower of Glendora and a host of relatives and friends. A sister, Leona, (Mrs. Thos. E. Williams of Earlham) preceded her in death, in 1946.

She visited in the Earlham community for several months in 1940.

Funeral services were held at 2:00 p.m., Monday July 7 at the Little Church of Flowers in Forest Lawn cemetery. Rev. Roy Knight pastor of the Friends church of Los Angeles was in charge of services.

She was laid to rest beside her husband. Old Earlham friends served as pall bearers, they were: Paul Stillman, Dr. Holes, Waldo Hadley, Bill Welch, E. L. Scar and Gus Taylor.