George Thompson

George Washington Thompson, 84, died February 25, 2010 after a brave fight from cancer at his home, in Bismarck, with his children by his side. Services will be held Saturday, March 6, at 11:00 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bismarck, with Rev. Steve Sathre officiating. Interment will be held in the spring in Woodlawn Cemetery, Steele.Visitation will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, March 4, and from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, March 5, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, where a prayer service will be held at 7 p.m Friday. Visitation will continue one hour prior to services. George was born February 22, 1926, at the family home, in Kintyre, North Dakota, the son of Magnus and Hannah Svanes Thompson. When he was 5 they moved to a farm north of Kintyre where he attended public school. He worked for several farmers before he started farming on his own. He lived with Hugo Janke's for several years. He also worked for Wallin Motor. He started shearing sheep with Roy Nelson and Lloyd Brousseau when he was seventeen and sheared every year until 1960. He was president of the Wool Association. He met Lennis Mercedes Attletweedt in 1949 and they were married Aug. 27, 1950, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Steele, in a double wedding with his brother, Thomas, and her cousin, Elaine Attletweedt. They lived on a farm 3 1/2 miles south of Steele after they were married. In1961, they moved to Sun Valley, Los Angeles, where George worked at a big liquidation store. Lennis worked at the Federal Reserve Bank in downtown Los Angeles. They kept calling George to come back to shear sheep and the city really wasn't the life for small town-country people. So, they moved back to North Dakota in1963 and lived in Bismarck. George went to work for Northern Improvement as a loader operator. He worked there for 25 years before retiring. Lennis worked at the St. Alexius Hospital as a scrub technician and also as a waitress at several restaurants. During the time they lived in Bismarck, they took in and nurtured college students. They treated them as their own. He loved joking around with them and his kids' friends. He liked it when they called him “Pa” or “Dad.” George will be forever remembered for his joke telling. You never saw him when he wasn't telling one right after the other. How he remembered all of them, we will never know. He would laugh so hard. Even after he lost his voice he still had that silent laugh. In 1981, they moved to Gillette, WY where George worked for Larry's Plumbing and Heating as a loader operator. Larry's even bought a new loader and it was dubbed “George's” loader until he left. Lennis worked at several restaurants and cleaned houses for people. After a couple of years, he went back to work for Northern Improvement. He worked in Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. In1988, they decided to move to Mesa for the winters where it was warm. They always returned home to North Dakota in the summers, until the summer of 2005 when Lennis became sick. After Lennis passed away in 2006, George moved back to Bismarck in April 2007 to be closer to family. George and Lennis were devoted to one another and to their children. They lived for each other and were able to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with friends and relatives. They were proud of their children's and grandchildren's accomplishments. Together they enjoyed travelling to see family and friends. Most of all, they enjoyed going back home to North Dakota and being with all of their children and grandchildren. George loved to tease his grandchildren to see what kind of a reaction he could get and he loved it when they called him Gramps, Grampie, or GG. George loved getting together with his sons and doing projects. While they lived in Mesa, George loved to putz around in his yard with his orange and grapefruit trees. He was very proud of them. After moving back to Bismarck, he would go to coffee at Hardees every morning to catch up on the news and have a few laughs. He loved to watch the Price Is Right, Wheel of Fortune, and the Hunting Channel. George loved to sit in his chair and watch the cars go by or just to see what was going on. George loved to go down to the farm and drive around. When it was corn season he always made sure he took down corn and they would have a husking party. As the old saying goes, “You can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy.” And, that was George. He was a kind and generous man, with a soft heart, and was always thinking of someone else. One of the high points in George's life was their trip to Norway with their daughter and some other relatives. It was a dream come true. He laughed and talked about the many good times they all had together. His highlight was that he got to see where his parents were born. In April 2009, George was diagnosed with Laryngeal Cancer. Throughout all of his treatments and surgery, he kept up his strength and courage until the end. His daughter was his nurse and cared for him through it all. They were traveling buddies. He had the will to live for his family. He will be forever remembered as the most loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle anyone could ever have. He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Bismarck. He is survived by one daughter, Marlyce William Kocher, Gillette, WY; three sons, Robert Betty Thompson, Mandan, Noral Deborah Thompson, Bismarck, and Dwight Thompson, Granby, CO; eight grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; four brothers, Norman, Salt Lake City, UT, Charley Sharon, Toledo, OH, Ryer Darlene, Rugby, and Harold Delores,Steele; one sister, Hazel Don Sinness, Bismarck; several dear cousins and many nieces and nephews including those in Norway; and his close coffee friends from Hardees. He was preceded in death by his parents, Magnus and Hannah Svanes Thompson; his loving and devoted wife, Lennis Mercedes Attletweedt Thompson; two brothers, Harry and Thomas Thompson; one sister, Shirley Merkel Thompson; an infant grand daughter, Kelly Jo Kocher, and several aunts, uncles, cousins, and nephews. Memorials and condolences may be sent in his name in care of Eastgate Funeral Service, 2302 E. Divide Ave., Bismarck, ND 58501. Visit the guest book at bismarcktribune.com

George Thompson

February 22, 1926 - February 25, 2010