Lloyd E. Thompson

Sturgis, SD

1937, 2765, Ft. Meade, South Dakota,

Lloyd Thompson, 95, died on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013, at Fountain Springs Health Care.

He was born January 1, 1918 in Rapid City to Clint and Mattie Thompson. He grew up in the Red Owl-Marcus area. He met MaeJo Duprel at a dance in Whitewood. They were married on July 3, 1939, a marriage that lasted 70 years until her death in 2010.

In 1942 they moved to Cheyenne, Wyo., where he was employed as a welder and inspector for United Airlines. He and MaeJo operated a grocery store and apartment house until 1951, when they moved to Rapid City. While there he owned and operated service stations and in 1968 they leased and operated Sylvan Lake Resort for ten years and then moved to Spearfish in 1978, where they assisted with the Sluice Restaurant. He drove a trolley in Deadwood for 17 years, until he was 90, and he especially enjoyed the special "perks" of entertaining and teasing tourists and playing poker after his driving shift.M

Along the way Lloyd - ever the cowboy and entrepreneur - drove cattle and horses across South Dakota, welded in the shipyards, drove a truck in the CCC's, delivered Coca Cola, cut hundreds of truckloads of wood, and was a fixer-upper, specializing in duct taping everything from a wart on his hand to you name it.

So much more in his life was measured not by a time line but by heart. He was baptized on his 50th wedding anniversary. He had a strong work ethic and was never a minute late for his job. He was gentle, loved animals (especially "pretty Kitty"), and was ever the tease. He was devoted to family, especially "granmammy" his 70-year partner, and was a special grandpa to his grandkids, often asking them "is they bruisin on you?" if they complained about a parent disciplining them. He was a lover of cars - from the new '39 Ford in his wedding year to his PT Cruiser on his 90th birthday. Always the story teller, all who knew him, even in passing, heard his many stories, including but not limited to the "boot story," "free hotel story," "screws and bolts story," and "granddaddy Murphy and uncle Paul stories."

He often said that he was going to go over the hill, or "gettin on a sheep wagon and goin to Montana," as a way to describe his passing. Now he is over that hill and has found his sheep wagon in Montana.

Although his death leaves a hole in the lives of family and friends, there will be stories long shared about boots, cattle and horse drives, "peculiar" and "pretty cagey" things, pointing with a crooked finger, and reaching out to take a hand with a firm grip. His lesson to all is that there are no used-to-be cowboys.

Lloyd is survived by his son, Dick Thompson and wife, Judy; his daughter, Terry Johnson and Skip Johnson; six grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; his sister Agnes; one sister-in-law and brother-in-law; numerous nieces and nephews; and many special friends.

Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at Osheim and Schmidt Funeral Home, with a Christian wake service and rosary following at 7 p.m.

Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at the Church of St. Therese the Little Flower, located at 532 Adams St., with the Rev. William Zandri presiding. Interment will follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Rapid City.

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