Eunice Thompson

Lord on Thursday, April 5, 2012. She will be missed; however she longed to be with her

Savior, and now joins her husband, James Henry Thompson, her parents, many relatives,

and friends in Heaven.

Eunice was born June 6, 1921, in Albany, Oregon to Joseph and Martha Johnson. She

moved to Salem Oregon with her parents and brother Vernon in 1926, attending high

school at Salem High School. She met Jim Thompson there and they became friends. Her

brother Vernon, was building a small dairy herd on the east edge of Salem and was

outgrowing the capacity of his rented farm. Parents Joe and Martha purchased a farm

east of Salem and moved there with the family which was in the same neighborhood

where Jim lived, farming with his parents. On January 24, 1942 she and Jim were

married at the Immanuel Baptist Church in Salem.

In 1946 they moved to Tumalo., Oregon where Jim and Vernon farmed together. In 1949

Jim and Eunice purchased a portion of Jim's family farm and moved back to the

Salem/Silverton area where they both lived their lives raising five children.

Eunice was a high energy individual, developed many talents and utilized those helping

her family, church, and community.

She learned to sew from her mother, and made most of her clothes and the kids. She

learned to play the piano and was the local piano teacher in the neighborhood teaching

many: of the community children how to play piano. As a musician she was the pianist

and organist at Salem Alliance Church, and sang in the choir. She taught Sunday School

for years and was particularly happy teaching the little 2-3 year olds. Eunice worked in

the Salem Alliance Church office retiring in 1999.

Eunice, wife and mother, was a good cook, preparing three large meals each day. There

was breakfast, dinner (not lunch), and supper. She baked pies, berry and fruit (5-6),

especially Saturday evening so she could be prepared for inviting friends or new people

home for dinner Sundays after church. She helped grow a big garden every year. She

drove tractor helping Jim spray the cherry orchard, drove truck from the field to the seed

cleaning facility, at times typing for her job as church secretary while waiting for the

truck to fill from the combines. Part of the farm operation included a barn full of laying

hens. She gathered eggs, and she and Jim processed the eggs in their basement after

dinner in the evenings. Those eggs were ,gathered between picking cherries, preparing

dinner, and organizing family pea shelling and bean snipping sessions.

She was preceded in death byher husband, Jim, in April, 1983. Survived by her children,

Donna (Michael) Olson, Lake Tapps, W A, Richard (Kathy) Thompson, Salem, OR,

Dianne (Drake) Lemm, Missoula, MT, Timothy (Jan) Thompson, Salem, OR, Michael

(Lynette), Thompson, Salem, OR. Brother Vernon Johnson, Bend, OR, 11

grandchildren. 12 great grandchildren.

Memorials may be given to Salem Alliance Church, 555 Gaines Street NE, Salem,

Oregon 97303.

Memorial services will be handled by Howell Edwards Doerksen with Rigdon-Ransom

Funeral Home, Salem Oregon. Viewing will be at Howell Edwards Friday, April 13,

2012 from 1 :00 to 5:00PM. Graveside interment at Mt Hope Cemetery, Monday, April

16, 2012 at 9:00AM. Memorial service will be held at Salem Alliance Church, Monday

April 16, 2012 at 11 :00 AM.

A sincere thanks to the staff at Lancaster Village for their good care of Mother during her

residency there, and appreciation to the staff from Willamette Valley Hospice for the help

they provided Mom and the family.