THOMPSON, Loretta M.

Loretta M. Thompson, 84, of North Platte, formerly of Grand Island died Saturday, January 29, 2005, at her daughter’s home in North Platte. Funeral services will be at 10:30 A.M. Wednesday at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Grand Island. The Rev. Tom Ryan will officiate. Burial will be in Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 P.M. Tuesday with a 7 P.M. rosary at Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home. Mrs. Thompson was born October 11, 1920, in Greeley County, NE to William J. and Mabel B. (Hughes) Cook. Survivors of the immediate family include four daughters and sons-in-law, Marie and Dr. Dan Nguyen of North Platte, Barb and Cal Olsen of Scottsdale, AZ, Mary Cumming of Grand Island and Patricia Dyer of Scottsdale, AZ; four brothers-in-law and five sisters-in-law, Gerald “Fat” and Katherine Thompson of Council Bluffs, IA , Harold “Lefty” Thompson, Alta June Cook and Marcella Thompson all of Greeley, Bill “Mosby” Thompson and Helen Zahm-Honaker, both of Omaha, Darlene Cook of Grand Island and Ernest Mohr of North Platte. Additional survivors include 10 grandchildren; a special niece and nephew, Patsy Koch-Johns and William Mohr; and numerous other nieces and nephews. Loretta grew up in rural Greeley County and graduated from Spalding Academy in 1938. She worked for a short time in St. Paul. She moved to San Francisco and worked as a personal assistant for Eleanor Roosevelt’s cousin. She was attending mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco when she learned of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Loretta also worked in various restaurants in the San Francisco area in both food preparation and serving. She married Charles Murphy in San Francisco following World War Two. They moved to Grand Island in 1951 so Loretta could be closer to her family whom she cherished dearly. Loretta married John Francis “Frank” Thompson on August 23, 1954, in Grand Island. She worked at the White House Café for a number of years and at the Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant from 1966 -74. She was a member of St. Mary’s Cathedral Parish, St. Mary’s Altar Society and the VFW Auxiliary. Loretta loved bingo, gardening, biographies and her dog, Sammy. For many years she enjoyed learning about, caring for and making room for many people in her home. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Frank; three brothers, Patrick Cook, Paul Cook and John Francis Cook; and two sisters, Gertrude Hargens Black and Mary Ann Mohr.