This coming Sunday would mark the 90th wedding anniversary of my Mother Emma Thompson and GN Rye. They were married at Porter, Mn. where they became engaged in farming.Now, for a brief history of the Thompsons as researched by Donna Entenman Rye.
Emma’s parents were Olena Olson, born on April l,l862 in the old Dakota territory near Yankton, S. Dak. She married Ole Thompson. Ole was born on August 21st, l857, in Slidre,Norway. The were married in 1882 in Canton,S.Dak.he passed on january 26th,l926 she passed on Memorial day in 1955.
The family remembers Grandma Thompson telling stories of how when she was nine years old, taking care of children at a farm near Vermillion,S,Dak, where indians raided and killed the family at a nearby farm.
Emma’s Mothers father was Nels olson, born in Oslo, Norway. He came to the US and lived for a time in Wisconsin before moving to Yankton, S.Dak.
Emma’s brothers were Albert, Tollef,Nels and Otto Leonard. Two sisters, Mary Anderson was Keith Anderson’s Grandmother and Kristi Wang’s great grandmother.The Andersons are referenced in previous blogs and Kristi is a friend of our Dan and Brigid and Summer Rye in Phoenix.the other sister was Nettie who became a Bly.
Tollef Thompson married a daughter Elaine married mike Arms.They lived in Ohio
Nels never married.He lived and farmed at Valley Springs, S.Dak.Grandma Thompson lived with Nel after her husband died also living for a time with Emma Rye and Nettie Bly.
She was a special lady who was bed ridden for some time.She would lay in bed and sing hymns. She had a good sense of humor and was very observant. Vivian Rye Helgeson, as an eary teenager tried to hide some purple finger nail polish from her but she saw it. Glenn teased her with a fake ring and when she asked him about the ring it had a water bulb inside his hand and he sprayed water on her. She enjoyed practical jokes. She is buried in Valley Springs, S.Dak.
Nels died of a ruptured appendix at the Luverne, Mn. hospital. he was such a quiet man and never complained.
In his will he donated his free and clear 160 acre farm to the Tuff Home in Hills, Mn. and there is a plague there honoring him.
Otto is featured in other entries earlier on this blog and became a favorite of Glenn and Donna’s children in California.
The other brothers and Nettie also had fairly large families.