Mabel Thompson

Mabel Thompson, age 97, of Little Canada, Minnesota died February 4, 2008. She was born on April 21, 1910 in Bear Park Township of Norman County, Minnesota, to Ole Eggen and Mary (Larson) Eggen. She was a second generation Norwegian with all of her grandparents emigrating from Norway. At age three the family moved to the Larson family farm near Rindal, Minnesota. She was baptized and confirmed in Norwegian at Faaberg Lutheran Church in Rindal, Minnesota. On June 2, 1940 she was married to Milton Thompson at Faaberg Lutheran Church. They resided in Deer Creek, Minnesota, where he owned a Hardware Store until 1948. After selling the store they lived in Fertile, Minnesota, for a short time before Milton drove up to Anchorage, Alaska on the almost completed Alcan Highway. Mabel and daughter Jean flew to Alaska where they lived from 1949 until 1951. They then settled on a farm near Ulen, Minnesota, where Mabel lived until the death of her husband in 1973. At that time she moved into Ulen where she resided until 2004 when she moved to Little Canada and Grey Eagle, Minnesota, to live with her daughter Jean and her husband Bill Knaak. She is survived by her daughter Jean (Bill) Knaak; granddaughter Jill (Kirk) Roe of Blue Earth; grandson Mark (Joelynne) Hanson of Forest Lake; great-grandchildren Jonathan, Elizabeth, Alexandra, Jennifer, and Christopher Roe; Ryan, Julia and Justin Hanson; step-grandchildren Fritz Knaak and Marci (Carl Hornfeldt) Knaak; brothers-in-law Donald Berglund of Shelton, WA and Arnold Strom of Belfair, WA; nieces, nephews and friends. She was preceded by her husband; parents; stepfather Severt Ingebretson; sisters Gladys Jacobson, Agnes Berglund, and Elaine Strom; brother Sanford Ingebretson; and brother-in-law Alfred Jacobson. Her employment began at Berge’s Store in Winger, Minnesota, for 12 years before she was married. She later returned to work at Pederson’s and Dale’s Supermarkets in Ulen until she retired. She was active in churches in Rindal, Deer Creek, and Anchorage and she was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran in Ulen for 56 years. Her activities included being Primary Sunday School Superintendent, a Sunday School Teacher, women’s group officer, quilter, choir member, and a member of the Mary Circle since 1951. In the community she was a 4-H leader, active in homemakers, PTA, band-parents, Sons of Norway, and senior citizens. Mabel had traveled extensively before moving to Ulen, including the Alaska Highway, and following her husband’s death with senior citizen’s groups and her daughter Jean and her family. She had been to nearly every state, Canada, Mexico, Norway and Jamaica. Her major hobby was sewing and she thoroughly enjoyed going to all church activities. She doted on her grandchildren and took delight in her great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 11AM on Friday, Feb. 8, 2008 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Ulen. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service on Friday. Burial will be held at North Bethlehem Lutheran Cemetery in Ulen.

Mabel Thompson

April 21, 1910 - February 4, 2008