THOMPSON, Grace L. 1905-2006

THOMPSON

Posted By: Gordon Felland (email)
Date: 2/16/2006 at 13:00:33

Grace Luella Thompson, 100, died Thursday (Feb. 9, 2006) at Naeve Hospital, Albert Lea, Minn.

Funeral service will be 1:30 p.m. Monday at the First Lutheran Church, Northwood, with the Rev. Wayne Hagen officiating. Burial will be in the Kensett Cemetery, Kensett. Visitation will be 3 to 5 p.m Sunday at Schroeder & Sites Funeral Home, Northwood.

Grace Luella Thompson was born to Ole and Christine (Bergh) Thompson on Dec. 11, 1905, on a farm near Kensett. She was baptized at home by the Rev. L. O. Pederson the same day she was born and confirmed by the Rev. Thor Sigmond at Bethany Lutheran Church, Kensett on July 6, 1919.

Luella attended rural school for her first seven grades and often talked about the school programs and basket socials that she enjoyed so much. She then attended school in Northwood and completed her junior and senior years at Forest City where she graduated.

Luella was employed for 10 years at the restaurant in Chester, Iowa, which was owned by her brother, Milton, and wife, Enid, and later by her brother, Olaf, and wife, Venita. She worked at the Bowen Food Center in Forest City for a number of years and managed the Bowen Food Center in Northwood for 10 years. After the store in Northwood was sold, she once again returned to the store in Forest City. After several years, Luella returned to Northwood to care for her aged mother. After her mother’s death, Luella was employed as a receptionist for Drs. Forland and Anderson from July 1970 until retiring on March 9, 1988, at the age of 83. In 1996, she moved to the Knutson Place apartments in Albert Lea, Minn.

Luella loved to work and enjoyed all the friends she had made over the years. She never married, but loved children and they loved her. Many of them called her Grandma Lu. She was a member of the First Lutheran Church, Northwood, and an active member of the Lydia Circle for many years.

Luella is survived by her nieces, Gartiel Zidlicky of Spillville, Beth Sheeley of Coralville and Donna Hanson of LeRoy, Minn.; nephews, Dean Thompson and wife, Lavonne, of Riceville, Iowa, and Conrad Thompson and wife, Joyce, of Rochester, Minn.; special friends, Ray and Beverly McMullin of Albert Lea, Minn., and their sons, Mike and Randy; special friends, Dennis and Renee Bergo of Lake Mills, and their children, Andrea and Earl Thorton and daughter, Anja Luella, of Chandler, Ariz., Jennifer and Jason Chose of Ames, and the late Jonathon Bergo.

Preceding her in death were her parents; one sister, Emylia Rygmyr; four brothers, Melvin, Olaf, Milton and Ernest; one nephew, Charles Thompson; three sisters-in-law, Enid Thompson, Venita Thompson and Urania Thompson; three nephews- in-law, Glenn Sheeley, Don Hanson and Art Zidlicky; and her precious niece, Kristeen Drugg.

Source: Mason City Globe Gazette, Feb. 11, 2006