Hazel C. Thompson

Hazel Claudina (Ramsey) Thompson was born June 13, 1926 at the local maternity house in Philip, South Dakota, to Claude and Hilda (Sether) Ramsey. She grew up and attended the Jones Rural School for seven years with the Jones, Sorensen, Jensen, Baye, Walker, Watson, and Carstensen families. Hazel graduated from Philip High School in May of 1944 as salutatorian. After graduation she started working for the First National Bank with the dear Lovald family: Herman, Mae, Scott and Hazel.

Hazel was united in marriage to Charles L. “Tommy” Thompson on September 18, 1947. Hazel and Tommy lived on the Claude Dale place near Philip where Tommy was working for Claude Dale. Their daughter, Christine, was stillborn on July 13, 1948. Then in July 1948, they moved near Cottonwood and worked for Mr. Henry where they shared a house with his daughter, Shine and Joe Griffin. After the blizzard of 1949, the Griffins returned to Texas but visited South Dakota in the summertime. In November 1948, Tommy and Hazel purchased their ranch south of Philip from D.C. Copps and Chan Geigle where they resided all their married life. Their first son Jerry was born October 7, 1949, in Rapid City, and they were blessed with a second son Russell on October 4, 1951, in Rapid City. Hazel and Tommy enjoyed all of Jerry and Russell’s sports including football and basketball games during their school years.

In 1955, Hazel was delighted when Floyd Millage asked her to work in the Haakon County ASCS Office. Hazel worked there 18 years and had to quit, not with her wishes. She enjoyed working with Bessie Burns, Gladys Joyce, and a school girl, Miss Gottsleben. This all changed as a new boss took Mr. Millage’s job, and he hired a new girl to take her job. Hazel then went to work at the Philip Nursing Home as a nurse’s aide, and later at Scotchman Industries as a bookkeeper with Gay Logan for five years. She and Tommy decided to buy 300 baby chickens to raise and sell. The boys helped take care of them, and they would all pick, dress, and sell the chickens. They also milked cows and sold the cream along with enjoyed the yearly calving season. Hazel also raised rhubarb and had a big strawberry patch on the ranch which she enjoyed.

In December 1990, Hazel was feeling ill and went to Rochester, Minnesota, where she received a new heart valve and then went back home. She had to have hip replacement surgery in 1992 and 2012.

Hazel loved travelling to Minot, North Dakota to attend the Norsk Fest, which had a lot of musical entertainment, her favorite being Charlie Pride. She would go on bus tours with other friends from Philip. Hazel’s last bus trip was with her niece, Charlene Kjerstad to visit Mobridge to attend a Charlie Pride show at the Grand River Casino in May 2011.

Hazel, Tommy, Jerry, and Russell enjoyed traveling to baseball games in Minneapolis and St. Louis. They also enjoyed rodeos in Rapid City and Deadwood, Disneyland, Branson, Missouri, St. Louis Arch, Nashville, Elvis Presley’s Graceland, Devil’s Tower, the Buffalo Roundup, Carlsbad Caverns, Mexico, Calgary, Canada, Seattle Space Needle, National Final Rodeo in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and especially Charlie Pride shows.

Hazel and Tommy traveled some by bus if the boys could not go. Hazel, Tommy, and many others from the Philip area went by bus to the last NFR Finals in Oklahoma. Tommy passed away on April 23, 1997, five months shy of their 50th wedding anniversary. Hazel remained on the ranch until February 2009 when she moved into Philip into her mother’s former house after living 61 years in the house Tommy and her had lived in. In March 2012, Hazel moved into an apartment at the Hickory House in Spearfish.

Survivors include two sons Jerry Thompson and his wife Penny of Wylie, Texas, and Russell Thompson and his wife Jody of Sundance, Wyoming; five grandchildren, Blake Thompson and Nicole Thompson-Tippmann both of Rapid City, Levi (Robyn) Thompson of Sachse, Texas, Luke (Jen) Thompson of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Shannon Thompson Moline of Sheridan, Wyoming; 13 great-grandchildren: Nathan, Aubrey & Sophie Tippmann; Brock, Derek, Malachi, Nerea, Esme, Asa, and Declan Thompson; and A.J., Preston, and Ramsey Moline; two step-grandchildren, Ryan and Kris; sisters-in-law: Rita Ramsey of Philip, Beatrice “Bea” Ramsey of Spearfish, Cathy Thompson and Enid Theisen both of Hot Springs; special nieces and nephews who helped Hazel:, Charlene Kjerstad of Wall, Cleo Rowe of Spearfish, and Claude Ramsey of Spearfish; other nieces and nephews including Vicki Eide, Cindy Severson, Candee Kitterman, Cathy Johnson, Claudette Raczuk, Casey, Clay, Doug, Bart, and Gary Ramsey; cousins: Sandra Sether Merchen, Elry and Esther Hoefs, Janet Anderson, Kent Sether, and Alton Sether; and a host of other relatives and friends.

In addition to her husband Tommy and their daughter Christine, Hazel was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers Charles “Chuck” Ramsey and Cliff Ramsey; a sister-in-law, Lorraine Tennyson, a brother-in-law, Claude Thompson; and her parents-in-law, Lloyd and Bertha Thompson.

A visitation will be held from 4-6 p.m. on Sunday, January 28, at the Rush Funeral Home in Philip.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, January 29, at the American Legion Hall in Philip with Pastor Gus Craven officiating.

Interment will be at the Masonic Cemetery in Philip.

Service Details

VISITATION
4-6 p.m. - Sunday, January 28, 2018
Rush Funeral Home
Philip, South Dakota

FUNERAL SERVICES
10:00 a.m. - Monday, January 29, 2018
American Legion Hall
Philip, South Dakota
OFFICIATING
Pastor Gus Craven
INTERMENT
Masonic Cemetery
Philip, South Dakota

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