Oct. 27, 1924 — Nov. 12, 2017
Funeral services for Wayne Eugene Thompson were held on Friday, Nov. 17 at 11 a.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Swea City. The visitation was held prior to the service from 9 - 11 a.m.
Wayne Eugene Thompson passed away on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017, at Lakeview Methodist Health Care Center in Fairmont, Minn. He passed peacefully with several of his family at his side.
Wayne was born on October 27, 1924 to William (Bill) and Wilhemina (Minnie) Eppelsheimer Thompson on the family farm west of Swea City, Ia. He was baptized and confirmed at United Methodist Church, Swea City and after marriage became a member of Swea City Immanuel Lutheran Church, serving on church council and helping with building the new church. He attended grade school at the Swea Township country school and graduated from Swea City High School in 1942. He attended Iowa State College, Ames, Ia. before enlisting in the Navy in March 1944 during WWII. He was stationed at the Naval Air Station in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. as a turret gunner on a TBF Avenger torpedo bomber.
Wayne married Marrian Jeane Berggren on May 20, 1944 in Fairmont, Minn. From this union three children were born, Gerald, Robert, and Kristy. Following the war Wayne and Marrian and Jerry returned to the family farm. Wayne farmed with his father and then later with his son, Robert. He was a 50 year member of the American Legion Fisher Post #14 and a member of the Swea City Lions Club.
Throughout his life, Wayne had a love for art. He first worked in pen and ink, charcoals, oils and watercolors. He loved to draw caricatures of people and make “Cheep” cards for his many friends and gave the drawings to them. He established himself as a serious artist at several state and regional shows, winning many awards and some state commissions for his paintings and pen and inks. Later he researched and taught himself how to work with the lost wax bronze process. His bronze sculptures gained him more recognition. He constructed a foundry at his farm so he could maintain the entire process. His bronze work included small pieces up to larger than life size statues, such as, In the Park (Swea City Reynolds Park), Louis Kossuth (Kossuth County Courthouse, Algona, Ia.), and Love of Learning (North Iowa Schools, Buffalo Center, Ia.). He was also commissioned to make larger than life size wire sculptures and greeting cards for the City of Fairmont’s Fairmont Glows celebration. Wayne found out in his early 60’s that he had macular degeneration yet he never gave up and continued his artwork until the last year of his life. Over the course of his macular degeneration, he went from very detailed work to impressionistic and abstract due to loss of vision.
Left to cherish Wayne’s memory are his son, Robert (Martha (Marti)), daughter, Kristy Thompson Anderson, daughter-in-law Jean Thompson and grandchildren, Eric (Kiva) Thompson, Neil (Talia) Thompson, Luke Thompson, Lauren Thompson, William (Ashley) Thompson, Rachel Thompson, Heather (Brock) Grayson, nine great grandchildren, brother Gordon Thompson, sister-in-law, Helen Borgert, and several nieces, nephews, and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Marrian, son, Gerald, brother- and sister-in-law, Bob and Mary Berggren, and sister-in-law, Helen Thompson.