Larry Earl Thompson, 73, of Lakota, passed away surrounded by his family on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at 2:53 AM, at Mercy Medical Center North Iowa, Mason City.
A memorial service will be held Wednesday, November 22, 2023, at 11:00 AM, at First Presbyterian Church in Lakota. His family will greet friends from 5 to 7 PM Tuesday, November 21st, 2023, at First Presbyterian Church in Lakota, and will continue on Wednesday one hour prior to the service at the church. Inurnment will be in Highland Home Cemetery in Ledyard.
Larry was born January 22, 1950, in Buffalo Center, the youngest of 13 children of Lauren and Goldie (Steele) Thompson. He graduated from Lakota Consolidated School in 1968.
Following graduation, he worked at the Elmore Tile Plant in Elmore, MN. One night after work Larry and a friend drove to Blue Earth, MN, and followed a car with a couple of ladies driving around. They kept following and eventually met for a soda. One of the ladies became his wife, Rita Jahnke. They were married June 6, 1970, at the Methodist Church in Ledyard. They celebrated 53 years of marriage. Three children were born of this union.
Hard work was a routine for Larry. He was employed by Hodgeman Construction, Fairmont, MN, a farmhand for Ted Thilges from 1971 to 1983, the Kossuth County Road Department for 20 years, and Kerry Ingredient of Blue Earth for 20 years. He helped Joe and Steve Berschman in the spring and fall doing fieldwork and he mowed several lawns around Lakota for many years. Larry was a very dedicated member of the Lakota Fire Department for over 30 years, retiring from the department in 2021.
Larry is survived by his wife Rita of Lakota; three children, Jeremy (Tara) Thompson of Ledyard, Angela (Ed) Connell of Ceylon, MN, and Renee (Justin) Funke, of Bancroft; grandchildren, Austin (Kaily Fox) Thompson, Nathan Brown, Cameron Thompson, Tessa Peterfish, Jasmine (Sam Perry) Freudenberg, Gannon Wolf, Chelsea Thompson, Sadie Connell; his great-grandchildren, Grayson Thompson, Zamia Freudenberg, and Sterling and Beau Fox. Also surviving are his siblings, Ruth Harringa of Buffalo Center, Eldon Thompson of Bancroft, Janice (David) Winter of Lakota, Sharon (Marion) Burt of Ledyard and Roger (Linda) Thompson of Mesa, AZ; and many nieces and nephews as well as extended family members and many friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his siblings, Irene (George) Wempen, Everett (Helen) Thompson, Raymond (Beverly) Thompson, Howard (Carol) Thompson, Dorothy (John) Vodraska, Harold Thompson in infancy, Beulah Thompson, and Glen (Clair) Thompson; and a brother-in-law, Melvin Harringa.
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