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Richard Thompson, 83, of Orient and Zion area, died Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, at Afton Care Center in Afton.
Celebration of life memorial services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 7, at Powers Funeral Home, junction of highways 34 and 25, in Creston. The Rev. Karen Norton will officiate. Burial will be in Greenlawn Cemetery, east of Afton. Military graveside rites will be given by Theodore J. Marten's Post No. 1797 Creston VFW. Open visitation will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday with family present from 3 to 5 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorials can be given to the family to be established later. Online condolences may be left at www.powersfh.com.
Richard Eugene Thompson, son of Lottie Mae (Butterfield) and Cloyd Raymond Thompson, was born Oct. 12, 1933, in Grant Township in Union County near Afton. Richard graduated from Zion High School in 1952. He served his country in the United States Army stationed in Berlin, Germany.
On Oct. 5, 1957, Richard married Naomi Ruth Corley at First Baptist Church in Hodge, Louisiana, after returning from the military. They lived in the Orient and Zion area where he did custom feed grinding for several years before moving into Orient. He worked for Fullerton Lumber Yard and then the gas station, both in Orient. Richard bought the Conoco gas station in Orient in 1971. Richard and Ruth also owned the Afton Motel for several years. Richard and Ruth divorced in 1989. He moved to Cassville, Missouri, but returned to Orient in 1991 and continued to operate the gas station until he retired in 2010.
Richard is survived by his daughters, Rhonda (Mike) Erskine of Creston, Rita (Mike) Wolfe of Creston, Ramona Wehde of Hutchinson, Minnesota, and Rosanne Thompson of Creston; sons, Rodney Thompson of Orient and Russell (Michal) Thompson of Orient; grandchildren, Dawn (Chris) Loudon of Creston, Tyler Erskine of Creston, Ashley (Tim) Pingree of Hutchinson, Minnesota, Briana Wehde of Hutchinson, Minnesota, Hunter and Hannah Thompson, both of Orient; great-granddaughters, Brettalynn, Brayanna and Bracaley Pingree and Maci Miller; brother, Robert Leroy Thompson Sr. of Garden City, Missouri; sister Berva Dawn Bennett of Lyons, Oregon; and former wife Ruth Thompson of Creston.
Richard was preceded in death by his parents; brother Calvin Wayne Thompson in 2016; sons-in-law, Ron Woosley and Brett Wehde; grandson Dustin Wehde; sister-in-law Kimiko Thompson and brother-in-law Robert Bennett.