Obit for THOMPSON, Peter Jr. (b.1839 d.1927), Kandiyohi Co., MN ========================================================================= USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. If you have found this file through a source other than the MNArchives Table Of Contents you can find other Minnesota related Archives at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm Please note the county and type of file at the top of this page to find the submitter information or other files for this county. FileFormat by Terri--MNArchives Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Pam Kantola Submitted: February 2004 ========================================================================= Peter Thompson Jr. Obituary - Worthington news paper - Thursday, February 10, 1927, Peter Thompson, Pioneer, Passes away from Earth. Father of Worthington Answers Last call at the Age of Eighty-Seven Years at the close of a Life of Exceptional Activity. Peter Thompson, prominent Nobles coutny Pioneer and a resident of Worthington since 1872, died at his home her at 5:45pm Tuesday, Feb.8. Funeral services will be held at 2 pm Friday from the residence, Rev. Elof Peterson in charge and from the First Lutheran church at 2:30pm. Rev. C. E. Benson of Stillwater, and old friend of the family, will coduct the services at the church. Mr Thompson was a little past the 87 year mark, his last birthday having occurred January 27th. He had been in declining health for the past several and rapidly failled during the past two weeks, death was the result of the informities of old age. During his long and active life, Mr Thompson was a great worker. But some eight years ago he became totally blind and from that time until he passed away he took little part in business, though most of the time he had a general knowledge of his affairs. The epithet, Father of Worthington, could well have been applied. He was here when the thown was laid out and he erected the first store building, helped organize the first bank, held several public offices, founded the Worthington Globe over fifty years ago, was prominent in church affairs and took an active interest in all projects pertaining to the welfare of the community and the county. Mr. Thompson was born in Jerfjo, Helsingland, Sweden, Jan. 27th, 1839, the son of Peter and Karin (Goranson) Thompson. In 1850 the family came to America and located at Pine Lake, Wisconsin. After one year they removed to Waupaca, in the same state, remaining there eight years. During this time, young Peter, who secured the foundation of an education in his native land, engaged in farm work for two years and then entered the drug business. He attended the public school whenever opportunity offered. He attained considerable proficiency in the drug business and was placed in charge of the store where he had two men under him. In the autumn of 1858 the Thompsons removed to Minnesota, becoming residents of Carver, where Peter grew to manhood. For five years he was a clerk in a general store, then for a year a clerk on a steamboat plying on the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. The next seven years he conducted a general store in Carver. When the St Paul & Sioux City Railroad COmpany began......Mr. Thompson became interested and in September, 1871, he filed on a homestead in Elk township, Nobles County. Mr Thompson was a personal friend of Former Governor Stephen Miller who as agent for the railroad company gave him valuable information relattive to real estate locations. In October, 1871, Mr Thompson brought lumber from Jackson and erected a building on a lot on Ninth street where the Wykoff building now stands. He also purchased the lot at the corner of Eleventh street and Third Avenue on which now stands the office of Dr. A. R. Schmid.Obituary - Peter Thompson Jr., continued....., During the years that followed, Mr. Thompson engaged in many enterprises. He dealt in realestate, mercantile business and sold agricultrural machinery. He prepared a set of abstract books in 1870 and kept enlarging it from time to time until he had the most elaborate set in the county. In addition to his numerous mercantile enterprises, Mr. Thompson founded the Novles County Bank and the following year became it's president. In 1894 he sold it to Lynd & Evans and from that time on devoted his energies to real estate and insurance. Mr Thompson served the public in official capacities, serving the city of Worthington as its first treasurer. He was amember of the city council and of the library board. He served two terms as treasurer of Nobles county. Mr Thompson was prominent in church matters, being a member of what is now the First Lutheran church and served as a deacon of that organization for over forty years. His activities during all the many years he lived here were many and varied. Mr. Thompson aided many people during the trying times of the early seventies when the settlers suffered greatly from winter storms and the grasshopper scourage. He had a kindly heart and many were the times when he aided those who needed help and he did it without hope of reward. One of the monuments to his energies was the building of the Hotel Thompson, nearly fifteen years ago. Worthington needed a hotel badly and Mr. THompson erected the fine hostlery at a cost of $80,000.00 Close attentionto his abstract work resulted in the impairment and some eight years ago, in the total loss of his eyesight. Following that misfortune Mr. Thompson remained at his home and left his business affairs in other hands, through he frequently was brought to his office in the hotel in a wheel chair. Mr. Thompson was married at Carver, March 18, 1860 to Miss Christine Danielson. To them two daughters were born, Mrs. Hannah Parker of Worthington and Mrs Nellie Parker of Minneapolis. These with Mrs. Thompson survive, also three grandchidren, Mrs. Thompson is over ninety years of age and still vigorous. Six years ago Mr and Mrs Thompson celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of their wedding. An elaborate dinner was served in the evening at the hotel to which a number of friends were invited. A year ago they celebrated the sixty-fifth anniversary quietly at their home.