A memorial service was held Tuesday, Sept. 24, Slininger-Schroeder Funeral Home in Jefferson for Connie Gail Thompson, 88, of West Des Moines, formerly of Grand Junction.
The Rev Mark Rabideau of First Presbyterian Church in Jefferson offered words of comfort.
Connie donated her body to the Des Moines University anatomical gift program. Her gift will forever impact and affect the lives of others in ways we cannot imagine.
Future interment will be at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Van Meter.
Connie Gail Thompson passed away September 3, 2019. Connie fought an 11-year battle after a cancer diagnosis in 2008 and again in 2013. Her husband, Dean was her care giver until May when she moved to Fountain West Health Care in West Des Moines.
She was born Connie Gail Hanson on Dec. 9, 1931, near Ord, NE, to Seton and Gwen (Garnick) Hanson. The family struggled during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s and eventually moved to Iowa and settled on a farm near Jamaica. During her school years, Connie enjoyed playing basketball.
Connie graduated from Jamaica High School in 1948. Upon graduation she moved to Jefferson where she was employed by Jefferson State Bank and eventually met the love of her life, Dean Thompson of Grand Junction. The couple was united in marriage Jan. 23, 1954. They settled on a family farm near Grand Junction and raised three children: daughters Paula and Lynda, son Lance.
Connie enjoyed many activities such as reading, sewing, cooking and especially baking. Everyone enjoyed her pies, cakes, cookies and bars. Later, Connie took a job at East Greene Community High School as an administrative assistant that she retired from in 1997. The couple retired to a town home in Ankeny that Connie enjoyed, as lots of family and friends would drop by. After retirement, Connie and Dean enjoyed Connie’s love of basketball and followed the ISU women’s basketball team. The couple also enjoyed ballroom dancing, as they met at the Starline Ballroom in Carroll in 1953 and continued to dance at Lake Robbins near Perry for many years.
Connie is survived by her husband of 65 years, Dean Thompson of Heritage Court, West Des Moines; children Paula (Randy) Carrick of Harvey, ND, Lynda (Gary) Geopfert of Linden, and Lance Thompson of Des Moines; grandchildren Lonnie (Stephen) Carrick of Chicago, IL, Reid (Amy) Carrick of Madison, WI, Haley Carrick of Des Moines, Damon Hoyt of Tucson, AZ, Shane Hoyt of Maui, HI, Ruby Thompson of Des Moines, Travis (Nicole) Geopfert and family of Knoxville, TN, and Tyler (Amy) Geopfert and family of Gilbert, AZ; great-grandchildren Alex, Ella, Destiny and Harper; sisters Pauline Irwin of Jefferson and Colleen (Nicky) Slaymaker of Lynnville; sisters-in-law Ardis Kiner of Grand Junction and Dora Lee (Gayle) Morley of Caldwell, ID; and many nieces, nephews and friends.
