Sister Caroline Thompson Caroline Thompson was born on December 9, 1872, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Thompson of St. Ansgar, Iowa. She attended school in St. Ansgar. She then attended Highland Park College in Des Moines, Iowa, and then St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. MISSIONARY SHIP SUNK; 19 PERISH Five American Passengers Are Among the Lost, 19 MISSIONARIES ARE SAFE American Steamer City of Athens Hits Mine Near Cape Town, South Africa — Fifteen Passengers and Four of Crew Lose Lives. Washington, Aug. 14. — Five American passengers were lost when the American steamer City of Athens struck a mine and went down, near Cape Town, South Africa, on Aug. 10 according to state department dispatches. Ten other passengers and four of the crew also were lost, the dispatches say. The dispatches say four of the Americans were missionaries, and named Mr. and Mrs. Naygard, Miss Robinson and Caroline Thompson. The later is of the Methodist mission board. A Mr. Pointer of that mission was saved. Nineteen other mission aries of an organization with head quarters at 356 Bridge street, Brooklyn, were saved. The fifth American who was lost was a Mr. Sumner, address not given. In addition to those five, an English man named Duckworth, with his American wife and six children, also lost their lives. Mrs. Duckworth's father lives in Denver. His name has not been ascertained. Nineteen Missionaries Saved. The nineteen members of the American Inland Mission party reported saved are Arthur X. Davis, Moody Bible Institute, Chicago; William J. Gee, Bennett, Nebraska; Miss Amelia Buchanan, Kewanee, Illinois; Miss Hulds E. Danielson, Moody Bible Institute; Miss Myrtle B. Wilson, Camden, N.J.; Rev. and Mrs. H.E. Bowe, Candy, Minnesota; Rev. and Mrs. Earl I. Camp and two children, Holmes, N.Y.; Raymon L. Davis, Philadelphia; Verba B. Furness, Lyndonviile, N.Y.; Benjamin F. Harter, Bible school, N.Y., Miss Bertha Henry, Berwick, Pa. Miss Florence M. Levy, Philadelphia, Miss Blanche Magnin, Darby, Pa., Rev. C. H. Mount, Loneview, Tenn., and Mrs. Mount, Grand Eapids, Mich., and Rev. and Mrs. B. M. Scudder, East Charleston, Vermont. Marble Rock Journal Thursday, August 16, 1917 She taught school for several years, and was also a diligent Bible student--taking part in Sunday Schoool work, young people's societies and mission work. In 1904 a minor illness brought her to Deaconess Hospital in Chicago. During this time she became interested in deaconess work, and the following year she enrolled as a probationer. Because there was an urgent need for women workers in the mission fields in Madagascar, she accepted a call to go; and was consecrated as a deaconess before leaving. Sis. Thompson left for Madagascar in February 1907, arriving at Fort Dauphin the last of March. She learned the Malagasy language while teaching in a girl's school. She completed her seven year stay as a teacher and Bible worker in 1914, and it was time for her furlough. Her health was failing, and she needed the rest and care she would get at home. Two months later she arrived in St. Ansgar. On July 12, 1917 she boarded the steamer, "City of Athens," heading out for her second tour in the mission field. However, while sailing off the coast of South Africa, on August 10th, at 3:30 p.m., within sight of land, the ship hit a mine and sank. Nineteen passengers were lost--among them was Sister Caroline Thompson.   The following is from the Worth County Index, Thursday, January 31, 1907. Miss Caroline Thompson, whose former home was in Worth county, or just over the line in Mitchell County, has left St. Ansgar for Chicago from which place she will start early in February on a trip to far-off Madagascar to engage in missionary work. Prior to her departure for Chicago she was tendered a farewell reception wherein addresses were made by Rev. Waldeland, speaking for the church, Professors Mellem and Bjorlee representng the Seminary and Luther League respectively, and by other speakers representing each department of the N. E. L. church and its allied interests. Miss Alma Johnson, on behalf of the Deer Creek aid society, tendered the young lady a sum of money as well as farewell wishes, and almost all the other speakers made similar contributions to the cause. The Enterprise, from which we glean, has this to say: "Miss Thompson was for some time a teacher in the public school of this place and later was preceptress at the Seminary, she is a most estimable and talented lady and her many friends here greatly regret that she is going so far from home, even if it is to take up a good work. The Norwegian Lutheran church has maintained, missions in Madagascar for many years -- more than half a century -- and in the early years of the mission they had the support of their countrymen in America until finally a few years ago the work was divided and the American church given the southern part of the Island. They have been very successful and there are now five men who have gone from the United Church Seminary at Minneapolis. Worth County Index - Thursday, January 31, 1907   The following is from the Waterloo Evening Courier, Wed., August 15, 1917. ST. ANSGAR, IOWA - Miss Caroline Thompson, one of the American passengers of the ill-fated City of Athens, which struck a mine and went down near Cape Town, South Africa, Friday, was a resident of this place, where she was born and reared. She was a lady about 42 years of age, and her whole life had been devoted to missionary work. She spent seven years in Madagascar and returned home five years ago. After experiencing considerable difficulty in securing a passport, she left here about the first of July. Her parents reside in St. Ansgar. Mr. Thompson is a Civil War veteran. Waterloo Evening Courier, Wed., August 15, 1917. Below is a graphic image of an article that appeared in the August 13, 1917 issue of the Lowell Sun, Lowell, Massachusetts, which pertains to this tragedy.

 

Top story based on a piece in the
First Lutheran sesquicentennial booklet
(pub. 2003).

 

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