Delores Thompson

Delores A Thompson,

81, of Sun Lakes Arizona,

passed away unexpected-

ly on October 12th ,

2021 in St. Luke’s Hospi-

tal in Crosby, ND.

Funeral service will be

1:00 PM, Monday, Oc-

tober 18, 2021 at Trinity

Lutheran Church in

Columbus with Pastor

Janet Gwin officiating.

Burial will follow at

South St. Olaf Cemetery

south of Larson. Visita-

tion will be 3:00 PM to

7:00 PM on Sunday, Oc-

tober 17, 2021 at

Stakston-Martin Funeral

Home in Crosby and one

hour before the service at

the church.

Delores Ann (Holte)

Thompson was born in

Powers Lake ND on Au-

gust 5th , 1940 to Leonard

and Dagney (Lindblom)

Holte, sister to older

brother Larry, and

younger brother Clayton.

She was raised on the

family farm, and later

moved into the town of

Larson. Delores began

school at a country school

house near her home, and

later attended Columbus

High School in Columbus,

where she graduated in

1958. After High School,

Delores wanted adven-

ture, so she was off to the

west coast where she

worked watching the chil-

dren of a business man

and his wife. Delores

soon discovered that ad-

ventures can happen any-

where that you live, and

decided that she missed

North Dakota. She made

her way back home, and

got a job working for the

Superintendent of

Schools in Bowbells. She

lived in a rented room

with her dear friend, and

had so many fun stories to

tell about those days.

While working in

Bowbells, Delores met

Jerome Thompson. She

knew who he was, since

he had been a 1st year

teacher in Columbus her

Senior year. Jerome had a

meeting in the court-

house, and as he was leav-

ing he told the man ac-

companying him that if

the woman from the office

is looking out the window

when I look up, I will ask

her out. He looked up,

and Delores was definitely

looking out the window

watching him. He asked

her out, and they were

married approximately 3

months later, on August

28th, 1960. To that union

were born two children,

Boyd Larry (1961) and

Dawn Marie (1963).

Delores and Jerome had

many adventures, moving

from state to state. They

lived in North Dakota,

Montana, Minnesota,

back to North Dakota, and

finally settled in Arizona.

While in Arizona Delores

worked as a manager of

Hi-Health, a secretary at a

Mortuary, and later land-

ed her dream job in ad-

missions at the School of

Music at Arizona State

University, where she

worked until she retired.

Delores was very social.

She enjoyed her family

and friends so very much.

Delores loved to bake,

and cook enormous meals

for people to come to her

home and enjoy. When

you left you would be full,

and your face would hurt

from laughing. You

would leave happy.

Delores loved to make

people happy. She was

always game for a road

trip anywhere, but if there

was a casino on the way,

that would be a bonus.

Delores enjoyed life,

she lived each day to the

fullest. Her goal was to

find purpose in each and

every day; to find joy in

her daily life. There were

times that were not joyful,

but she was a strong

woman and she emerged

from the other side of

those dark times with

faith and determination,

compassion and purpose;

and most of all the appre-

ciation of each day of her

life. She often said “life is

for the living.” And she

most definitely lived each

and every day.

The greatest joy for

Delores was spending

time with her 3 grand

children, Disa , Dani, and

Koby Kopppelsloen. They

were the light in her

world and she spent

every summer with them

in North Dakota watching

them grow up. She

delighted in their accom-

plishments and shared in

their joy. There were

many camping trips,

sleepovers, fashion

shows, cookie baking, lef-

sa making, trips to the

zoo, rounds of golf, end-

less bike rides around

town, barbeques, birthday

parties and many of her

infamous malts. As the

kids got older, basketball

games, volleyball, track

and field, shopping excur-

sions, lunch, coffee and

lots of conversation.

Delores wanted to know

what they were doing,

how they were doing, and

if she could do anything

for them to help. She was

their number one fan in

everything that they did,

always. Delores will be

greatly missed. She was

an extraordinary mother,

grandmother, and friend.

Delores was preceded

in death by her parents,

older brother Larry,

younger brother Clayton,

husband Jerome, and son

Boyd.

Delores is survived by

her daughter Dawn Kop-

pelsloen (Kurt), grandchil-

dren Disa Koppelsloen

(David Ruby), Dani Kop-

pelsloen (Kristopher

Vrieze) and Koby Kop-

pelsloen, her friend

Robert Leonard, and her

nieces and nephew.

Stakston-Martin Fun-

eral Home of Crosby is in

charge of arrangements.