Alma Thompson

GARNER - Alma Thompson, 99, of Garner died Sunday (August 23, 2009) at the Concord Care Center in Garner.

Funeral services will be held 10:30 A.M., Tuesday at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garner with Rev. Dale Glawatz officiating. Burial will be at Winnebago Lutheran Cemetery southwest of Lake Mills.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 P.M., Monday at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel in Garner and will continue one hour prior to services at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Hospice of North Iowa.

Alma Thompson, the daughter of K. O. and Ingebor (Lein) Helgeson, was born January 4, 1910 on a farm in Mt. Valley Township in Winnebago County. She was baptized at Winnebago Lutheran Church near Lake Mills and confirmed at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Forest City. At the age of nine, she moved with her family to Forest City where she graduated from high school in 1928. On August 12, 1928 she was married to Truman Thompson at Winnebago Lutheran Church. To this union three daughters were born, Norma Jane, Sandra Jean and Janet Kay. They lived in Waterloo for a year before moving to a dairy farm west of Forest City. They later bought their own farm south of Fertile. On October 3, 1949, her husband, Truman passed away. Alma then worked at Hanlontown, Forest City and at the Clear Lake Bakery for fourteen years before retiring in 1970. She enjoyed 500, bingo, cooking, shopping, traveling, knitting, reading and spending time with family and friends.

She was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, LWML and Garner Senior Citizens.

Alma is survived by her daughters, Sandy (Dick) Young of Garner and Janet (Larry) Burtness of Clear Lake; six grandsons, Rick Burtness, of Tucson, AZ, Kevin (Maureen) Burtness of Clear Lake, Craig (Connie) Young of Cedar Falls, Paul (Cathy) Burtness of Mason City, Dr. Alan (Jody) Young of Waverly and Douglas (Holly) Burtness of Mason City; and twelve great-grandchildren, Sydney Burtness, Sarah Burtness, Paige Burtness, Alexandria Burtness, Mackenzie Burtness, Madison Burtness, Macey Burtness, Aiden Burtness, Abigail Young, Kelsey Young, Mitchell Young and Britney Young.

She was preceded in death by her husband; parents; daughter, Norma; three sisters; two brothers; four sisters-in-law; six brothers-in-law; two nieces; and a nephew.