Philip Kimzey Thompson

May 30, 1933 — February 13, 2018

Philip Thompson, 84, of rural Lacona passed away suddenly on February 13, 2018. Services will be Saturday, February 17th at 10:30 a.m. at the Pierschbacher Funeral Home in Lacona. Interment will follow at the Liberty Center Cemetery. Family will receive friends on Friday from 4:00 until 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorials may be made in Phil's name to the Liberty Center or Lacona United Methodist Churches. Philip Kimzey Thompson was born on May 30, 1933 to William Orville and Hazel Leona (Kimzey) Thompson just west of the Green Plain church in Warren County, Iowa. He grew up on a farm just east of Liberty Center and graduated from Liberty Center High School in 1950 as class valedictorian. He loved training his pet dogs and playing baseball, playing in high school and as part of the Liberty Center town team. In 1953 Phil was inducted into the US Army where he was a sharpshooter. He rose to the rank of corporal and served as company clerk prior to his discharge in 1955. In the army he met and befriended men with very different backgrounds than his own and obtained stories that he would share with his children in the years to come. He was united in marriage to Rose Ellen Hardin on June 2, 1957. Their first date was the result of a coin flip - Phil lost the toss but would be the first to tell you that he won in the long run. Three boys were born to this union: James Patrick (Lynda Robbins) of Chicago, Illinois; Gary Lee (Brenda) of Liberty Center; and John Richard (Sharon) of Liberty Center. Phil took great pride in his sons and in their numerous and disparate interests, from showing cattle to sports to theater to a hundred other things. After working in Des Moines for a couple of years Phil returned to the Liberty Center area to farm in 1959. In 1962 he purchased the family farm where he raised cattle, hogs, corn, and beans, as well as his sons. He took great pride in raising Angus and Limousin cattle, top quality hogs, and clean beans. Phil was an active member of the Liberty Center community, coaching Little League, serving on the Co-op Board, being an athletic and music booster at Southeast Warren schools, and as a member of the American Legion. He had a positive outlook on life, a vibrant smile, and an abundant sense of humor which he used to brighten the lives of those around him. Phil was always curious and loved learning, promoting these values to his children and exposing them to different parts of the country on annual vacations to visit family, connect with nature, and experience history and culture. He had a lifelong interest in history and was particularly interested in the Civil War and the American West. Phil was a lifelong member of the Liberty Center United Methodist Church, serving in a variety of roles including Sunday School Superintendent and Lay Leader. He frequently served as a lay speaker, enjoying the challenge of communicating the word of God by placing it in the context of current events and day to day life. His favorite passage from the Bible was Micah 6:6-8, "With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." He endeavored to live out these words and served as a role model for his children and his community. After Rose's passing he married Maureen (Bates) Hughes on August 7, 1993. They spent the next 25 years raising cattle, traveling, riding tractors, and enjoying their children and grandchildren. Phil would readily say that he had been richly blessed to have been married to two such wonderful women. Phil passed away on Tuesday, February 13 as the result of a heart attack. He was preceded in death by his parents, Orville and Hazel; wife, Rose; half-brother, John Bissett Thompson; and step son, Roger Hughes. He is survived by his wife, Maureen; sons: Patrick (Lynda Robbins), Gary (Brenda), and Rich (Sharon); step daughters, Jennifer Hughes (Joel Kinser) and Carla Hughes (Matt Hohmann); grandchildren: Ashley (Derek) Hommer, Myles (Skylar) Thompson, Emily Thompson, Katie Thompson, and John Thompson; step-granddaughters: Jessica (Adam) Hitchell, Sophia Hughes, and Pearl Kinser; great granddaughter, Kynlee Sue Hommer; and step great grandsons: Lucas Hitchell, Reed Hitchell, and Emmett Hitchell. Cemetery Details Liberty Center Cemetery Liberty Center, IA 50145

Visitation

FEB 16. 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM (CST)

Pierschbacher Funeral Homes - Lacona

104 S. Washington

Lacona, IA 50139

[email protected]

https://www.pierschbacherfuneralhome.com

Service

FEB 17. 10:30 AM (CST)