ST. MARY PARISH, LA. Obituary for: THOMSON, GEORGE Submitted by: Louis Lavedan. Source-Published: Franklin Banner-Tribune, The (LA) - Wednesday, December 12, 2007 ======================================================================= Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgenweb.org/volunteers/copyright.shtml ======================================================================= THOMSON, GEORGE George Bell Thomson, a native of Crowley, La. and a resident of Franklin since 1945 died December 10, 2007 at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Lafayette, La. He was 84. The family requests that visitation be observed December 12, 2007 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Ibert's Funeral Home in Franklin. Visitation will resume on Thursday at 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at First United Methodist Church in Franklin. Service will be held at the Church at 11 a.m. Burial will follow in the Franklin Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Ryan, Scott, John, and Michael Thomson, Allen Charles Bella and Louis Boiteux. Honorary Pallbearers are Cooper T. Thomson, Thomas F. Kramer, Carl W. Bauer, Keith A. Landen, Vincent Pillaro and Jack Poindexter. Mr. Thomson is survived by his wife of 58 years, Mary Beth Scull Thomson of Franklin, three sons, Byron Craig Thomson and wife Janine of Franklin, Stephen Scull Thomson of Lafayette and George Bell Thomson Jr. and his wife Tracy of Lafayette, six grandchildren, Ryan M. Thomson and his wife Ashley, Sarah S. Thomson, Scott P. Thomson, John W. Thomson, Michael George Thomson, and Cooper T. Thomson and one great grandchild, Jane Elizabeth Thomson. He is also survived by one sister, Jane T. Omohundro of Crowley. He was preceded in death by his parents, Wayne and Genevieve Thomson of Crowley. Mr. Thomson was the founder and Past President of Thomson Real Estate in Franklin. He was a long time member of the Board of Directors of the former Commercial Bank & Trust Co. of Franklin, La, now Capital One Bank. He was a founding member of Belleview Golf and Country Club and St. Mary Chapter, La. Landmarks Society. He was born on December 22, 1922 in Crowley, La. He graduated from Crowley High School and was a very proud college graduate of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. He was a World War II veteran of the U.S. Army. After graduation, he returned to Louisiana to work for his uncle, Byron C. Thomson, who owned Thomson Machinery Co. in Thibodaux, La. One year later, he moved to Franklin to manage one of their offices, Teche Tractor Co. in Baldwin, La. He ran the business with his uncle until 1963 when the business was sold. It was during that time he fell in love with real estate development, particularly restoring the beautiful homes in Franklin. His love for bringing life back to these neglected structures led him to his biggest challenge, the restoring of Oaklawn Manor in 1963. Accomplishing the two year project was one of his proudest moments. His continued work on over 100 homes in Franklin over the next 55 years brought much appreciation from his fellow citizens, who he loved to help with their remodeling questions and recognition from the community and state. The recognition included the City of Franklin establishing and awarding him the first George B. Thomson Lifetime Achievement Award given to those citizens involved in restoration work, the St. Mary Chapter, Louisiana Landmarks Society Preservation Award and the Preservationist of the Year Award in 1996 from the Louisiana Chapter of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The night he received the Landmarks Award, he made a lasting statement that truly reflected his feelings about his community and his work in Franklin. He said "The most important wish that I have for Franklin and it's future is to pass on to the younger generation the motivation and desire to maintain and care for the homes here… Franklin has a great heritage and legacy that I hope the younger ones will appreciate. It is theirs to keep up. My life's work here has been fun and I have loved doing it all." Memorial Contributions can be made to St. Mary Chapter, La. Landmarks Society, P.O. Box 400, Franklin, La., 70538. Arrangements have been entrusted to Ibert's Mortuary Inc. of Franklin. ===================