Helen Marie Thompson
Helen Marie Thompson
of Phoenix, Arizona
passed away September
17, 2021, at the age of 93.
Helen was born to Clifford
and Tora Harrington in
McHenry County, North
Dakota.
Helen grew up in farms
in North Dakota. She
wanted to be a nurse but
became a wife and moth-
er. She was very proud to
have 2 nurses among her
grandchildren. She raised
her family in North and
South Dakota following
her husband’s crane
operator career.
Ray and Helen moved
to Arizona in 1966 for
Ray’s health. They were
active in the Orangewood
Church of the Nazarene in
Phoenix and Sun City
Church of the Nazarene.
Helen was an active parti-
cipant with the Caravan
girls. They would take
camping trips and trips to
Disneyland.
She was a huge fan of
Mickey Mouse and noted
that they were born the
same year. She rode every
single ride at Disneyland.
She met Mickey face to
face for the first time on
her last trip there when
she was in her 80s.
After her children were
grown and spread out she
became a world traveler.
She began traveling alone
by train and bus and gra-
dually moved to flying.
She visited her daughter
and son-in-law in Spain
and Okinawa.
She moved back to
North Dakota settling in
Deering where she settled
into the community. She
drove until she was 91.
She and a younger sister
followed a band because
they loved dancing. They
would be the last to leave
and were known as the
“dancing sisters.”
Helen was preceded in
death by: her husband
Ray in 1980, her
son-in-law Ralph Groth in
2018 and a dear friend
Vernon Brandt.
She is survived by: her
children, Jane Groth, Lila
Smith & Paul, Connie
Lunn & James and Barbara
Gomez & Mike; brother
Gene Harrington & Kathy;
sister Judy Johnson Kin-
sey, 12 grandchildren, 22
great-grandchildren and 1
great-great-grandchild.
Visitation will be
9-10:30 a.m. with funeral
service at 11:00 a.m.,
Thursday September 23,
2021, at the Sun City
Church of the Nazarene,
14636 N. Del Webb Blvd.,
Sun City, AZ. She will be
laid to rest at West
Resthaven Park Cemetery
in Glendale, AZ.
Condolences may be
shared at
www.menkefuneralhome.com