Thompson, Thomas Isaac, 22 Dec 1855 - 18 Apr 1937

GOODMANSON, THOMPSON

Posted By: Wayne K Steffensen (email)
Date: 7/7/2008 at 16:15:35

Obituary, Forest City Summit Newspaper, Forest City, Winnebago County, Iowa, dated April 22, 1937

In the death of T.I. Thompson, which occurred at his home in Forest City at nine o'clock Sunday evening, the community mourns one who has been a citizen of Winnebago County and prominent in the agricultural circles of this vicinity for over fifty years.

Mr. Thompson was born in Stavanger, Norway, December 22, 1855. He came to America at the age of 15 years, settling in the city of Chicago in 1871. Here he lived about ten years, engaged in business as carpenter and contractor; and here he was united in marriage to Miss Rebecca Baggeson on September 29, 1881. To this union, which established a happy and enduring family life whose duration extended over a half a century, were born ten children, six of whom survive to mourn the passing of a kind, generous, and indulgent father.

In 1881, shortly after his marriage, Mr. Thompson moved to farm in Story County, Iowa , where the family resided three years. In 1884, they moved to Winnebago County, where Mr. Thompson purchased a farm six miles west of Forest City. This place became the family farm for thirty-five years, and from time to time Mr. Thompson made additions to his original acres until he had one of the most considerable farms in this territory, and for a generation he was an important stock raiser in this area. He was vigorous, industrious, and foresighted, and always took great pride and pleasure in his farming activities. In 1919, having attained the age of sixty-four, he retired to Forest City, where he resided in his home on Mill Street until his death.

The immediate surviving relatives are Mrs. Thompson; four sons, Harry, Walter, and Arthur of Forest City, and Frank of Thompson; two daughters, Mrs Raynard Bowman of Fairbault, Minnesota, and Mrs. Henry Levison of Forest City; eighteen grandchildren and one great grandchild; one sister, Mrs H. D. Johnson of Chicago, and one half-sister, Mrs Joseph Boman of Forest City. In his long and active life Mr. Thompson made hosts of friends, and his acquaintance extended for beyond the limits of his immediate environment. He was gifted with a jovial, hearty manner and disposition, delighted to converse with friends and companions, and his hospitable family circle was the center of happy comradeship and good cheer. Many of his intimate friends have preceded him in death, and those who remain will long hold him in affectionate remembrance.

Mr. Thompson was a man of strong and robust physique and remained in fairly good health until a few days before his death. After suffering from a cold for a short time, his condition suddenly became critical and almost without warning he passed away to his last long rest quietly and painlessly at nine o'clock, his age being 81 years, four months, and twenty-seven days.

Funeral services were held at the Scandinavian Methodist Church Wednesday afternoon, April 21, conducted by Rev. C. H. Petterson and interment in Oakwood Cemetery. The pall bearers were six grandsons: Lawrence, Garland, Leroy, Orville, Terry, and Byron Thompson.