Evelyn Jean Thompson

Evelyn Jean Nelson-Thompson was born on Monday, April 15th, 1929 in rural Madison, MN to parents, L. Neil and Anna Marie Haugen-Nelson. She was baptized at Garfield Lutheran Church near Madison, MN in June of 1929. She attended rural schools in Lac Qui Parle county until age 12 when she moved with her parents to Dawson, MN in 1941. She was confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Dawson, MN in 1943. She graduated from Dawson High School in 1947 and worked for Attorney Battershell until 1948. She was employed by the Dawson Public Schools as Secretary to Supt. C.H. Dahlin until 1952. On July 24, 1949, she was united in marriage to Peter (Turk) Thompson at the Trinity Lutheran Church (where she also worked part-time for Pastor Otterstad). In 1956 Jean, Turk and family moved to Minneapolis. She was employed at the Metropolitan Bank in Minneapolis and later was employed at John Hamel Co. until she retired, almost 30 years later.

Jean was active in Trinity Lutheran Church of Minnehaha Falls, Oak Grove Lutheran Church, Richfield school systems, and various clubs and organizations. She enjoyed life and people immensely and had a high respect for education and the knowledge and development that it brought to mankind. She was a strong supporter of higher education for all youth and became a visionary mentor to many young people with her support and encouragement. She enjoyed her research on genealogy and the history of her family and loved it best when she could sit at her computer and write about her ancestors and her descendants.

The highlights of her life were her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She counted her riches as having good friends and her beloved family. This was her most precious of assets.

She is survived by loving daughters, Anne and husband Don Langdon of Florida, and Susan and husband Ken Boehm of Minnesota; her devoted grandchildren Patty Jean, Brian Lee and Heidi Veazy of North Carolina, Katie Jean, Riley, Hunter and Eddie of Minnesota; and her adorable great-grandchildren Evyn Routh, Emma Lee, Jesse Lee, Benjamin, Abigail Jayne and Jacob Buenviaje; sister and best friend, Winnie Nelson of Edina, very close sister-in-law Barbara Thompson of Eagan, and Pat Boehm of Green Bay, Wisconsin, a dear friend with shared grandchildren; as well as many close and much-loved nieces and nephews and grand-nieces and nephews, loyal friends and neighbors. She was welcomed into heaven Sunday, May 24th, 2020 by the “Love of her Life” husband Peter "Turk" and her beloved son Steven; parents Neil and Anna Nelson, brothers Jenks, Les and Erling; brothers-in-law Bernie and Ray Thompson; sisters-in-law Rusty Thompson, Pearl Nelson, and Bernice Nelson.

May her spirit live on in all those she has touched. She will be deeply missed by so many.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to Luann, Sue and the rest of the staff at Luann’s Place. You gave our beloved Jean such incredible care, comfort, and love in the last 3 years she spent there, and for that, we will be forever grateful.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Oak Grove Lutheran Church of Richfield, Minnesota, or Dawson Community Foundation of Dawson, Minnesota.

To send a memorial donation to Oak Grove Lutheran Church, visit their website at www.oakgrovelutheran.org or mail a check to: 7045 Lyndale Ave S, Richfield MN, 55423
To send a memorial donation to the Dawson Community Foundation, please mail a check to: Dawson Community Foundation, 716 8th St PO Box 549, Dawson MN, 56232

Due to the current situation with the coronavirus, there will be a private ceremony and burial with immediate family. We plan to have a celebration of her life at a later date, with all of her friends and family. We know how much she loved a party, and with the current state, we know she would want to wait until we can once again have a big group with lots of hugging, laughter, music, and good food. We pray that will be soon.

“To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.”