Rev. Ernest T. Thompson

Rev. Ernest T. Thompson, 88, of Mason City, died Saturday, April 7, 2012, at the Good Shepherd Health Center. Funeral services will be held 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, April 11, 2012, at St. James Lutheran Church, 1148 4th St. S.E., with Pastor Paul Nelson officiating. Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday, April 10, 2012, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave. Funeral services will continue at 3:00 P.M. Wednesday at the Palestine Lutheran Church at 1375 HWY 210, Huxley, Iowa, with the Rev. James Gallagher and Pastor Paul Nelson officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed Good Shepherd Health Center, Hospice of North Iowa, or your local congregation. Ernest Theodore Thompson was born March 28, 1924 in rural Kossuth County, Iowa the son of Theodore N. and Hannah (Anderson) Thompson. He was baptized May 11, 1924 and confirmed October 2, 1938 both in Shiloh Lutheran Church, rural Elmore, Minnesota. He was drafted into the US. Army in 1948 and was honorably discharged in 1949. While in the service, he attained his GED for both High School and two years at the college level. In 1950 he enrolled in the Lutheran Bible Institute in Seattle, WA, graduating in 1951. He married Mildred Paulson at Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church in Seattle, WA on June 5, 1953, to this union, five sons were born. They moved to Tacoma, WA and Ernest completed college studies at Pacific Lutheran College. That summer they moved to St. Paul, MN for Luther Seminary. After ordination in 1958, he served in Rothsay, MN (1958-63), Roseau, MN (1963-66), Huxley, IA (1966-86), and Elgin, IA (1986 until retirement in 1990). After retirement he served as Visitation Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church and St. James Lutheran in Mason City. He also served as an Interim Pastor in many congregations in the area from 1990-1999. Ernie has touched many lives through the years and will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved him. He is survived by his five sons, Nathan (Julie) Thompson of Anchorage, AK, Mark (Diane) Thompson of St. Michael, AK, Daniel Thompson (Barb) of Terrebonne, OR, Jonathan (Jo) Thompson of Grays River, WA, Dr. Steven Thompson of San Francisco, CA; eight grandchildren, Rosalyn, Rachel, Nathan, Silas, Sidney, Paul, Benjamin (Sara), and Aaron. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Mildred in 2010; sister, Edith Anderson; and one brother, Harold Thompson.

Cemetery:
Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed Good Shepherd Health Center, Hospice of North Iowa, or your local congregation.

Visitation:
Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday, April 10, 2012, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave.

Service:
Funeral services will be held 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, April 11, 2012, at St. James Lutheran Church, 1148 4th St. S.E., with Pastor Paul Nelson officiating. Funeral services will continue at 3:00 P.M. Wednesday at the Palestine Lutheran Church at 1375 HWY 210, Huxley, Iowa, with the Rev. James Gallagher and Pastor Paul Nelson officiating.