Obituary for Elaine Mae Thompson

Elaine Mae Thompson, age 95, of Osseo, MN, passed away on October 31, 2022 and is now resting in the arms of Jesus. Preceded in death by her husband, Douglas.

Survived by children, Karen (Thomas) Glimsdale, Lynette Peterson (Michael Blackburn), Debra (Scott) Anderson, and Bradley Thompson; 5 grandchildren, Reverend Kristen Glass Perez, Paul Glass, Nina (Mark) Monroe, Natalie Anderson (John Olson), and Nick (Tiffany) Anderson; 5 great-grandchildren, Gage, Owen and Jade Monroe, Maxwell King, Miles Olson.

Preceded in death by husband, Douglas Thompson; parents, Carl and Mabel Samuelson; brothers, John Samuelson, Carlyle Samuelson.

Elaine was born on July 9, 1927 in Spicer, MN, the first born child to Carl and Mabel Samuelson. She had two younger brothers, John and Carlyle.

Elaine loved growing up in the small town of Spicer on Green Lake. She met Doug at the age of 15 while swimming at the public beach on Green Lake and they continued dating for the next five years.

As a teenager she loved her job working at the ice cream shop. This is were she fell in love with ice cream which helped her buy clothes with the money she earned. She continued to eat ice cream most days for the rest of her life. She often said, she thought she had probably eaten more ice cream than anyone else at Steeple Pointe. Her favorites include chocolate, caramel, nuts or berries.

Elaine graduated from Willmar High School in 1945. Elaine attended Augustana College, Sioux Falls. Elaine then received a two year degree in elementary teaching from St. Cloud Teachers College in 1947. On November 12, 1948 Doug and Elaine were married. They were blessed with 55 years of marriage and four children.

While raising their family Elaine worked part time sales at Dayton’s and later worked in the shipping and receiving department at Sears, retiring after 15 years at the age of 62. She always kept a clean house and took pride in serving the family a meal together of meat and potatoes every night, promptly at 6:00. They enjoyed camping with the family at Minnesota’s state parks and being out in nature. She loved to feed and watch the birds. They were long time members of Gethsemane Lutheran Church. She spent many years being a church basement lady by working in the kitchen for potlucks, turkey dinners and funerals, cleaning the church, making and serving coffee, helping with communion, teaching, nursery help, ushering, bible study, quilting, sales, ladies circle group and doing whatever was needed.

Elaine was an avid reader, (she taught her children to read before they went to school). Elaine loved to go to school as a child, she always cried on the last day of school. Elaine loved crossword puzzles, playing games, cards, 500, dominoes, and BINGO (she was lucky and always a winner!) Shopping was a favorite past time. She had lots of clothes and shoes, along with matching jewelry, a love she passed on to her daughters and granddaughters.

Once the children left the nest Elaine and Doug had time to do some traveling. They enjoyed visiting their daughter Lynette in Georgia and going up north at her cabin spending summer days boating, swimming and fishing. They took several trips together to Grand Cayman. A couple time a year they went to Las Vegas or Laughlin, NV with their Card Club Friends. They also traveled to visit family in Texas, Virginia and California.

Elaine was a loving daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend and will be greatly missed by all. She had a positive outlook on life, and never complained. Elaine enjoyed the time she spent with family. Every day she prayed for her family members by name and thanked the Lord for giving her another day. Elaine said she will be back as a butterfly or a Cardinal, so next time you see either one you will know she got her heavenly wings and she’s making sure that you are doing okay.

The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Benedictine Living Community, Steeple Pointe and Brookdale Hospice for their support and compassionate care provided.

Private family Celebration of Life Service. Memorials preferred to donor’s favorite charity.