Hilbert "Bert" Thompson

Hilbert “Bert” Thompson, 103, departed this life on Saturday, February 7, 2015, at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Fergus Falls. He had been a resident of the Veterans Home in Fergus Falls since May 2009.

Hilbert Leonard Thompson, born October 25, 1911, was the son of Tom J. and Gina Oian (Johnson) Thompson in Aurdal Township, Otter Tail County, Minnesota. He was baptized into the Lutheran faith by Rev. O.G. Aasen and reaffirmed into the faith by confirmation in 1926 at Tingvold Lutheran Church by Rev. H.M. Thoreson. He later joined Stavanger Lutheran Church.

He grew up on his parent’s farm and attended elementary school at District 207 in Otter Tail County. He graduated from the Northwest School of Agriculture in Crookston, Minnesota and was employed at the Northwest Experiment Station in Crookston, until 1941.

From October 30, 1942 to February 6, 1946, Hilbert served in the U.S. Army. He was inducted at Fort Snelling, MN and completed basic training at Camp Roberts, CA. He was later attached to the 4th Infantry Regiment at Fort Richardson, Alaska under the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Command. He was later transferred to Fort Benning, GA, where he was a Browning Automatic Rifle instructor. He finished his service at Camp McCoy, WI.

In 1946, he was employed by the Fergus Dairy Cooperative (Mid-Am Dairy) in Fergus Falls, MN, where he worked until his retirement in 1971.

Bert married Lillian Moshus Link on July 18, 1953 at Foxhome Lutheran Church before Rev. Alan Hagstrom. They built a home in 1958 on Cabbage Hill, County Road One, Fergus Falls and lived there for thirty years before moving to Fergus. In 1962, he and Lillian joined Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Fergus Falls, MN.

Bert was a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Sons of Norway, and Senior Citizens of Fergus Falls. Although they never had any children of their own, Bert and Lillian volunteered as adopted grandparents at Miss Betty Royal’s Kindergarten classes for several years where they enjoyed visiting with the children. They also enjoyed restoring the once abandoned cemetery now a part of the Kongsberg Cemetery, being maintained by the Bethlehem Cemetery Association of Fergus Falls, MN.

Bert was fascinated with genealogy and Norwegian history. He was a lifelong student of poetry and often recited lengthy poems from memory. Hilbert and Lillian took two trips to Norway where they visited with relatives and friends in Gudbrandsdal and Tinn, Telemark.

Hilbert was preceded in death by his wife Lillian on November 23, 2008; his three sisters, Tilda (Otto) Stand, Clara (Olaf) Langseth, Inga (Harold) Haugen; four brothers, Henry (Laura) Johnson, Theodore Thompson, Thomas (Leona) Thompson and John H. (Mabel) Thompson.

He is survived by numerous nieces and nephews, as well as Betty Royal, a special friend to Bert and Lillian.

Visitation: One hour prior to the service at Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls
Memorial Service: 1 p.m. Friday, February 13, 2014 at Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls
Clergy: Reverend Kate Bruns and Reverend Stan Satre
Burial: Oak Grove Cemetery, Fergus Falls, MN
Military participation: Fergus Falls V.F.W. Post 612 and American Legion Post 30
Arrangements: Olson Funeral Home, Fergus Falls, MN

Online condolences may be sent to www.olsonfuneralhome.com