Mary Lou (Wedekin) DORR THOMPSON

DORR, THOMPSON, WEDEKIN, ECHELBERGER, JETMUND, LONNEVIK, KANKEL, WAKEMAN, NELSON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/26/2007 at 13:23:46

October 26, 2004

Mary Lou Dorr Thompson, 70, of Belmond, died on Tuesday, October l9, 2004, at the Belmond Medical Center. Funeral services were held on Saturday, October 23, at the high school auditorium in Belmond, with Pastor Lowell H. Halvorson officiating. Burial was in the Belmond Cemetery. Arrangements were in charge of the Dugger Ewing Funeral Home. Pianist was Carol Severson and soloist was Marilyn Janssen. Casket bearers were her children. Honorary casket bearers were Bob and Tom Hill, Jeff Pentico, Rich Peddicord, Dale Walrod and Leslie Thompson.

Mary, the daughter of Maynard and Edna Wedekin was born on October 10, 1934 in Dows. She graduated from the Dows High School in 1953. She married O'Larry Dorr at the St. Francis Catholic Church on June 17, 1952. They made their home in Belmond where they raised seven children. Mary went to work as a real estate agent at Fern and Bob Tomson's Agency in 1971, then at the Bunnell Agency, and most recently at the First Gabrielson Agency. She was the first woman to serve on the Iowa Realtor's Board. A fighter and an intelligent business woman, Mary thrived on closing the deal. She not only sold homes, she sold her love of Belmond. On March 4, 1989 she married Donald D. Thompson at the St. John's Lutheran Church in Belmond. Don and Mary made their home in Belmond. Mary is remembered as a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and friend. She was always full of life. Mary enjoyed golf, bridge, crafts and traveling, especially to the casinos for a good bingo game. Sharing time with friends usually included a cup of coffee. Whether it was with the Dow's girls or the many Belmond groups, coffee was always a wild and humorous experience.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents; step-father, Adrian Oliver Echelberger; step-brother, Vern Echelberger; and step-sister, Avonelle Jetmund. Mary is survived by her husband; children, Lorann (Daniel) Lonnevik of Meservey, Sharri (Barry) Kankel of Scottsdale, Arizona, Patrick (Robin) of Belmond, Michael (Michelle) of Norwalk, Terry of Sioux City, Cynthia (George III) Wakeman of Sioux City and Timothy (Tracy) of Rowan; grandchildren, Eric Lonnevik, Elisa (Brian) Nelson, Skylar and Nicholas and Kassidy Dorr, Ryan and Alex Dorr, Colton Dorr, George IV and Charles and Henry and William Wakeman and Kaitlyn Dorr; great-grandchildren, Lane and Drew Nelson; step-son, David (Rhoda) Thompson of Belmond; and step-grandson, Brian (Sarah) Thompson.

©Belmond Independent 2004