Nelda Eileen Thompson

Nelda Eileen Smith Thompson was born on August 29th, 1937 to Erna Oehlke Smith and Milton Emmett Smith in Lewisville, Texas. She was raised on a small farm and her dad was a share cropper until his death in 1943 of Tuberculosis at the young age of 34. Nelda’s Mother Erna moved Nelda and Big Brother Jimmy to town to find work and support her young family. Nelda loved her brother Jimmy and they lived across the street from their school so they would be safe while her mom worked and she and her brother took care of each other until her mom got home from work in the evenings.

Nelda graduated from Lewisville High School in 1955 and met her late husband John Edward Thompson at a square dance in Grand Prairie in 1954 and they married on October 14, 1955. Nelda and John bought a house in Arlington and shortly afterward John was drafted into the Army in 1957. During their years in the Army, they got to travel overseas and made wonderful memories. Nelda and John had two children, John Stephen Thompson, Steve, and Sheri Renee Thompson. They moved from Newton St in Arlington to Colleyville in 1965 to raise their kids and have room to spread out and have fun. John started a successful Farmers Insurance Agency in 1969 to 2003 and Nelda helped him get started. Their next-door neighbors Joe and Jane Deupree, Karen, Kathy and Kelvin will be forever family as well. The Thompson’s had a wonderful life on Montclair Drive for sixty plus years!

Nelda sold real estate with Century 21 in Colleyville in the mid-seventies and early eighties and then worked at American Airlines as a ramp administer in the nineties and retired in 2003. She loved both her longtime jobs and made many friends at both places.

Nelda was a member of the Colleyville Garden Club for years and loved genealogy and locating old cemeteries of family members.

Thanks to her hard work her kids now have countless binders of their heritage and old photos of family members that they will cherish forever. Nelda passed on her love of gardening to Sheri and she carries on the tradition to this day.

John and Nelda joined West Fork Presbyterian Church in Grand Prairie in 2003. Nelda even served as an elder for many years.

Nelda loved country and western dancing and John had a band for years in the sixties and seventies at Nine Acres in Colleyville and they continued going to Honky Tonks like Panther Hall to see Buck Owens, George Jones and all the great acts of that era.

John passed away, August 2014 and Nelda continued going to the Senior Dances and had tons of fun meeting new people and continuing the tradition of dancing and fellowship on Friday nights.

Nelda met her companion Rodney Edge at one of the dances and they have had eight wonderful years of love and friendship to the very end. Rodney stayed with Nelda and held her hand until she took her last breath. We want to thank Rodney for his love and support to our mom and let him know how grateful we are that he came into her life. Steve and Sheri want to also thank great friend Arianne (Bebe) for being with our mom these last weeks.

Nelda’s health began to fail in 2020 and she eventually had to move out of her beloved house and into Grand Brook Memory Care in 2024. She was taken care of by some great people that work at Grand Brook and the family wants to acknowledge how much we appreciate them and thank them. We also want to thank Anchors of Hope Hospice Care as well for they provided great care and support to Nelda and Steve and Sheri.

Steve and Sheri want to let their mom know what a wonderful life she and their dad provided for them and how grateful to the both of them there are for it. Nelda and John raised two kids who love and cherish her and know that she is back in the arms of her loving husband John Thompon rejoicing in Heaven.

Nelda leaves behind her two children Steve Thompson and wife Danette and Sheri Burcham and husband Steve Burcham. Two grandsons John Thompson and Carl Burcham. Three great grandchildren, Hezekiah Thompson in Colorado, Reese Thompson and Aidyn Thompson both from Grapevine. Nelda’s beloved brother Jim Smith and wife Doris of Tomball, TX.

Graveside Memorial held at P. A. Watson Cemetery 1024 N. Watson Rd. Arlington, TX on Wednesday March 19th, 2025 at noon.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a donation, in Nelda's memory, to P.A. Watson Cemetery. To do so, please email [email protected]