Virginia E. Thompson

Virginia E. Thompson, 91 year old resident of Upsala, MN, passed away on Monday, January 9, 2017 at Riverside Assisted Living in Royalton, MN. Funeral service will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Thursday, January 12, 2017 at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Upsala, MN with Pastor CJ Boettcher officiating. Burial will take place in Gethsemane Lutheran Cemetery in Upsala, MN. A visitation will be held from 4-7 P.M. on Wednesday and from 9:30-10:30 A.M. on Thursday at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Upsala, MN. Arrangements are with Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls, MN.
Virginia Ethel (Johnson) Thompson was born on October 14, 1925 in Elmdale Township, Morrison County to the late Otto and Ethel (Anderson) Johnson, Jr. She grew up in the Upsala area. Virginia was confirmed at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Upsala in 1939, where she was a lifetime member. Virginia attended Upsala area schools. She married Russell Thompson on March 27, 1943 at the Gethsemane Lutheran Church Parsonage in Upsala, MN.
Russell and Virginia lived on Russell’s family farm, where they raised their two children, Wesley and Beverly. In 1976, Russell and Virginia sold the farm to their daughter and son-in-law and moved to an apartment in Little Falls, returning to Valley View Apartments in Upsala in 1979. Virginia worked at Munsingwear in Little Falls for 21 years and then at the Upsala Schools for 5 years under the Green Thumb Program. Virginia married Edmund Nelson on October 12, 1991. Following Ed’s death, Virginia moved to Riverside Assisted Living in Royalton, where she resided until the time of her death. Virginia loved cooking, baking, crocheting, playing cards, playing bingo with her friends at Riverside Assisted Living and most of all, spending time with her family and friends. Her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren were her true pride and joy. Virginia was also a life long member of the Upsala American Legion Auxiliary Post #350.
Virginia is survived by her children; Wes Thompson of Sartell, MN and Bev (Rollie) Johnson of Upsala, MN; 7 grandchildren, Dawn (Joe Trettel) Janssen of Upsala, MN, Melissa (Tom) Hodge of Little Falls, MN, Rollie (Joan) Johnson, Jr., of Upsala, MN, Melanie (Sam) Waweru of Cedar Rapids, IA, Mike Thompson of Sartell, MN, Lonnie (Amanda) Thompson of Holdingford, MN and Allen Thompson of Sartell, MN; 18 great-grandchildren; 4 great-great grandchildren with one on the way in July, 2017; sister-in-law, Eleanor Johnson and many nieces, nephews and friends.
Virginia was preceded in death by her parents, Otto and Ethel Johnson; husbands, Russell Thompson on July 22, 1980 and Edmund Nelson on October 5, 2014; twin sister Violet Johnson on January 24, 1926; sister, Bernice Holmen on September 9, 1962; brother, Lloyd Johnson on March 13, 2012; niece, Patty Holmen on August 24, 1962 and grandson baby boy Thompson in 1970.