James Jim Thompson

James "Jim" Thompson, died April 10, 2013, at the Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center, Bismarck, after 94 full years of life. Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at Parkway Funeral Service, with Pastor Rebecca Aardahl officiating A time of remembrance will be held Friday, April 19, at 7 p.m., at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck. Burial will be held on Monday, April 22, at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, south of Mandan. Jim was born September, 19, 1918, in Selz, ND, to Harry and Martha Thompson. He grew up there and graduated from Harvey High School in 1936, home of the Harvey Hornets, for whom he proudly played left tackle. He graduated from North Dakota State University in May 1941, his diploma in one hand and enlistment papers in the other. That month, he reported for active duty in the U.S. Army Air Force. Jim married June Forsgren, July 14, 1944, and they began married life at Fairmont Army Air Field, Geneva, NB. By December, 1944, he was stationed on Tinian, from which massive bombing efforts were launched against Japan. There, Jim served as chief mess sergeant, responsible for feeding 1, 500 GIs daily. He said "It was the toughest" job I ever had. We fed people around the clock." After his discharge in late 1945, Jim and June moved to Valley City, ND, where he worked for the ND Game & Fish Department, and later to the Bismarck Sears, Roebuck, & Co. After a few years, he began working at Sioux Sporting Goods. In 1958, Jim assumed ownership of Sioux Sporting Goods. Later, with manager Norm Tietz, he founded Sioux Cycles. Jim and June ran Sioux Sporting Goods, with son Ryan, until they retired and closed the store in 1998. Jim once told The Greeter, "The smartest thing I ever did was to marry June." The couple's awards and recognitions included the Sporting Goods Dealer's 1966 Leadership Award, Bismarck Folk Fest Baron and Baroness of 1989, and Bismarck's Chamber of Commerce recognition for 50 years downtown in 1996. Jim's community involvement included serving as co-founder and board member of Sports Incorporated, a cooperative buying group based in Lewistown, MT. He also coached, refereed, and judged Golden Gloves Boxing in Bismarck-Mandan. He and June were early supporters of Bismarck's Adult Abused Resource Center, providing rent-free office space and Jim serving as a board member and president. An avid, lifelong duck hunter, Jim often rose before dawn and said that the best hunting days were windy, cold, and rainy. More than once, though, in warm sunlight, he "woke up with a chickadee perched on the end of my shotgun, peering up at me quizzically." Jim and June enjoyed traveling to some of the most intriguing places in the world, such as Siberia, Turkey, the Amazon, and China. Jim made friends with children and cats all over the world, although he said he couldn't always understand the cats because of the language barrier. People will remember Jim for his dry sense of humor, kindness, community commitment, and genuine interest in those he met. Jim is survived by his sister Betty; son Ryan Thompson; daughter Karen Fay Thompson; and daughter-in-law Kathleen Donahue, Bismarck. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; sisters Ann, Kay, and Lucy; and brother Gust. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Jim's memory to the Abused Adult Resource Center http://www.abusedadultresourcecenter.com, Delta Waterfowl http://www.deltawaterfowl.org, or Central Dakota Humane Society http://www.cdhs.net.

James Jim Thompson

September 19, 1918 - April 10, 2013