Kathryn Thompson
Kathryn Thompson
October 11, 1932 – April 26, 2011
Grinnell, Iowa
Kathryn E. Thompson, 78, of Grinnell died April 26, 2011, at her home. Mass of the Resurrection will be held 10:30 a.m. Friday, April 29, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Grinnell with the Rev. Nick Adam officiating. Organist will be Marilyn Kriegel accompanied by the St. Mary’s Choir. Honorary bearers will be her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Burial will be in Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell. There will be no visitation. Memorial contributions may be directed to St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
Kathryn was born October 11, 1932, in Napoleon, North Dakota, the daughter of George and Barbara Wiegel Ivanov. She was raised and received her education in Napoleon. At the age of 16 she moved to Aberdeen, South Dakota and began waitressing at the Cozy Café. This is where she met Kenneth, a 1949 graduate of Aberdeen High School.
On February 19, 1952, she was united in marriage to Kenneth Joseph Thompson, in Norfolk, Virginia, where he was stationed in the United States Navy. The couple returned to Aberdeen and then for the next 20 years they lived in several communities in the upper Midwest where she raised her family while he was in the grocery business. In 1972, they moved to Grinnell where they owned and operated the Kwik Shop on the corner of 6th Avenue and West Street. They retired in 1995. For many years they wintered in Las Vegas.
A devout catholic, Kathryn was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church. She was active in Altar and Rosary Society and attending mass on a daily basis was very important to her. She enjoyed sharing her time with her family, playing domino’s, antique shopping, and solving cross-word puzzles.
Survivors include her husband, Kenneth of Grinnell; five children, Karen Schmidt of Hampton, Timothy Thompson of Johnston, Patricia Gosselink of Grinnell, Barbara McCulley of Grinnell, and Mary Thompson of Del Mar, California; one sister, Lorraine Reis of Napoleon, North Dakota; 10 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, Ambrose, Benny and Joseph Ivanov; two sisters, Helen and Angelina; and a son-in-law. Craig Gosselink.
Source: Smith Funeral Home
