Obituary of Isham Marion THOMPSON, Macoupin County Illinois 22 March 1998
Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives ©1998 Chris Thompson Hamilton.


Name of Deceased: THOMPSON, Isham Marion
Name of Newspaper: Tulsa World, Tulsa, OK
Date of Obituary: 10 Jan 1933 
Obituary: Preacher to Pioneers of Four Frontiers, Isham THOMPSON to Rest
at Bixby Today -----
The restless figure of a 97 year old minister who four times pioneered into
America's vanishing frontiers and whose four generations of descendants
estimate their members to number, living and dead more than 800, was to
be buried this afternoon in the Bixby cemetery following funeral service
at 2:30 this afternoon in the Glen Pool high school auditorium. Isham Marion 
THOMPSON died at the home of his son M. E. THOMPSON, four miles
southwest of Jenks, Sunday night. He had been ill and confined to his bed
with pneumonia for nine days. On the Thursday before his death, he arose
before other members of the household and called for Breakfast. His close
friend of the past two years, Rev. Samuel B. WAGONER of the First Christian 
Church of Kiefer, was to conduct the services. Gordon Barnes funeral home
was in charge of the arrangements. THOMPSON was born in Illinois
Dec. 26 1835, of Irish and Dutch parents. At the age of 23 he was converted
to Christianity and induced to enter the ministry by John. S. SWINEY a well
know evangelist of that time. In half a dozen midwest states, THOMPSON
rode or walked long miles to preach to pioneers. Bible His Primer Uneducated,
he began to study at this time, learning to read with the New Testament for
his primer. Practically all of his reading was done at night by the light of a pine
torch blazing in the open fireplace of his log cabin home. He would mark the
words in the Testament that he did not know and take them to SWINEY for
explanation. In later years, his family claim he could have rewritten this
Testament from memory. His first wife bore him 11 children, the second 8,
Seventeen of the 19 grew to maturity, 16 lived to be married, and 11 survive.
All but one or two planned to be present at the funeral. The survivors are: Jim 
THOMPSON, 74 Bixby; Dr. Franklin THOMPSON, 72 Trinity, TX; Willis
Newton THOMPSON, 68, Crowder; Isham Carroll THOMPSON, 66
Seminole; Beauford Alexander THOMPSON, 59 Kiowa; Charles Hanna
THOMPSON, 55 Stidham; Mrs Rosie CRABTREE, 54, living near Sapulpa;
Marion Eliot THOMPSON 52 at whose home he died; Mrs. Pearl
STEWART 50, Sapulpa; Maton Hale THOMPSON 46, Mounds and Joseph
Gabriel 45, Sapulpa. Homesteaded IN 1863 he migrated with an ox team and
wagon to Nebraska where he took up a homestead. One winter there was
enough, however, and the next year he moved southward to Arkansas, settling 
near Eureka Springs. On this trip he worked his cows in the yoke with the
oxen during the day time and milked them at night. Here he established a
vineyard, and organized a Christian church in his own log cabin with a
membership of five taken from the sparsely settled neighborhood. His family 
learned to make clothes and blankets from the wool they sheared from their
sheep. He would walk from 25 to 35 miles in order to fill a preaching
appointment. Oftentimes he would require two days walking each way in 
rder to fill a single night's engagement. On these trips he would hold meetings 
wherever he stopped for the night if an audience could be found, it being his
aim to preach every night. Sometimes he made trips on horseback. His family
recalled today that on many of these he often wrapped a common oil cloth
about him for a slicker. To 'Territory' In 1892 his sons grew restless to move
to the Indian Territory. THOMPSON went along. They lived near Eufaula and 
Checotah. THOMPSON continued to preach although there were no public
buildings and he held his meetings in brush arbors and private homes. He made
several evangelical trips at this time, some of his meetings lasting for as long
as a week. At Fawn he established a church. In 1907, at the of 71, when other
Oklahomans were ready for statehood. Thompson followed two of his sons to
New Mexico, where he planned to take up a homestead. This he never did
although he stayed and preached in the new country for nearly four years.
He continued active almost until the time of his death and last August led the
congregation of a Jenks church in prayer, steadying himself with his two
canes as he spoke. Today his descendants live in Arkansas, Oklahoma and
Texas, most of them south of Tulsa in eastern Oklahoma.


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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Chris Thompson Hamilton.
(© 1998 Chris Thompson Hamilton)