Edwin Thompson

Edwin Thompson was born on October 15, 1878, as the fourth child of Thorsten and Anna Thompson. Tragically, their third child, Edven Thompson, had been born in 1877 but passed away at birth. When Edwin arrived a year later, he was given the same name as the baby who did not survive.

In the late 19th century, it was fairly common to name a child after a deceased sibling. This practice served both to honor the memory of the lost child and to continue family names and traditions. During an era when infant and child mortality rates were significantly higher due to limited medical knowledge and resources, parents often endured the heart-wrenching loss of young children. Mortality rates were particularly severe among the pioneers who settled in the Dakota territory.

Edwin likely received his education alongside his siblings. On December 27, 1905, he married Anna Brevik at the Thorsten Thompson homestead. Eager to start his own journey, Edwin, along with Tollef, transported a train car loaded with machinery, horses, and furniture to Clyde, North Dakota in March 1906. Clyde is located in the northeastern portion of North Dakota. It is just a few miles from the Canadian border. Settlers like Edwin and Anna brought with them hopes of prosperity and a drive to transform the untamed land into fertile farms and thriving towns. The landscape was primarily characterized by open prairies, with few trees and primitive roads. The early settlers faced the arduous task of breaking the tough, virgin soil using horse-drawn plows.

In April, Anna joined them and recalled hearing about the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906 while on the train. They worked expeditiously and built a barn, granary, and house before the onset of the winter. The North Dakota climate can be inhospitable. The wind never seems to stop, and it can feel like it is blowing right through you. Edwin and Anna’s homestead lay roughly 300 miles to the north of the Thompson South Dakota Homestead. It is here they endured their first winter with temperatures plunging to an astonishing 52 degrees below zero. While living in North Dakota, Edwin and Anna had their first children: Alton Tremaine, born in July 1907, and Evelyn Violet in November of 1908.

After spending just four short years in northeastern North Dakota, the young family moved South and West, settling in Marcus, South Dakota. Marcus is a small town surrounded by the expansive Great Plains, characterized by gently rolling hills, wide-open skies, and vast stretches of farmland. This region is known for its agricultural productivity, with fields of wheat, corn, and other crops defining the landscape. The nearby forests and rivers provide a habitat for diverse wildlife, making the area not only agriculturally significant but also rich in natural beauty.

Over the next twenty-four years, Edwin and Anna dedicated themselves to growing their family, eventually welcoming nine more children. Florence Ethyle was born in July 1910, followed by Victor in 1913, Leland in 1914, and Irvine Leighton in November 1915. In mid-October 1917, Anna gave birth to Clifford Orville. Gladys Thompson arrived in December 1919, with Ruth Thompson following in 1922, and Edith Rosalie—who prefers to be called Rosalie—in 1924. Their youngest child, Francis Arthur “Buddy” Thompson, was born in July 1926.

Edwin and Anna’s family was no stranger to hardship and tragedy. They endured the loss of their two eldest sons within a span of seven months—Alton passed away from cancer in 1933, and Victor succumbed to pneumonia contracted at a CCC camp in 1934. Later that year, Edwin and Anna moved to Forest City, Iowa, where they acquired 20 acres of land. There, they raised chickens, milked a few cows, and cultivated a flourishing garden.

Edwin eventually returned to the ranch in western South Dakota once all of the children were grown. He would remain on his ranch until his death in 1971. Anna moved to California where most of her grown children were living. Anna lived to be nearly 105 years old, passing away in 1989.

Edwin and Anna’s life together was a testament to a blend of agricultural diligence and familial devotion. Over twenty-four years, they raised ten children, experiencing both moments of joy and heart-wrenching tragedies, such as the loss of their two eldest sons. Believers in second chances and new beginnings, Edwin and Anna moved frequently, each relocation offering them an opportunity to chart a fresh course.