Gilford---Elizabeth “Betty” May Thompson, 87, died Thursday afternoon, January 13, 2011,surrounded by family and friends, at the St. Francis Healthcare Center in Laconia. January 13th was her 67th wedding anniversary.
Betty was born in New Salem, Massachusetts on September 15, 1923, the second of six children of Lawrence R. Stone and Louise C. (Carl) Stone. As a young child, she moved with her family to Winchester, New Hampshire. She attended Winchester’s Thayer High School where she met her lifelong sweetheart, Walton Thompson.
In January, 1944, Betty had a great adventure traveling cross county by train to meet Walton in California, where the two married at a seaside church in Laguna Beach. After the war, the couple returned to Winchester and for many years ran the Shoemet Farm, a dairy farm with sixty registered Jersey cows and a 2,000 bucket maple syrup operation. In 1958, Walton and Betty moved with their two young sons, Brad and Brian, to beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee and bought the Bright Horizons cabin complex on Dockham Shore Road (later known as Thompson Cottages).
As a young woman, Betty was an avid downhill skier. She and Walton loved to travel and over the years made trips to California, Hawaii, and Alaska. Betty was well-known as a sharp bridge player, meticulous housekeeper and excellent cook. Her broccoli casserole was known and loved across the state. In later years, “Grammie” spent many afternoons and weekends caring for her six grandchildren and taught them many lifelong skills including how to iron and wrap the perfect Christmas present. She loved puzzles, romance novels, peanut butter ice cream, popcorn, and Sawyer’s lobster rolls.
She is survived by her devoted husband, Walton Thompson, of Dockham Shore Road in Gilford, and two sons and daughters-in-law: Bradley and Daryl Thompson of Gilford and Brian and Diane Thompson of Deerfield. She has two surviving siblings, Shirley Stewart of Lady of the Lakes, Florida, and Lawrence “Sonny” Stone of Richmond, Virginia. Her loving grandchildren include Kalee Thompson and husband, Dan Koeppel, of Los Angeles, California; Rebecca and Peter Doherty of Gilford; Jesse and Alison Thompson of Gilford; Cassandra Thompson and fiancé, Todd Flemings, of Hampton; Abigail Thompson and fiancé, Jason Fopiano, of Barrington; and Berin Thompson of Deerfield. In recent years, Betty took special joy in her three great-grandchildren, John Bradley and Clara Hesko Thompson of Gilford and Otto Thompson Koeppel of Los Angeles.
A Graveside service will be held on Sunday, May 15, 2011 at 11:30AM at the Raymond C. Wixson Memorial Garden, Gilford Community Church, Potter Hill Road, Gilford NH Rev. Michael Graham, Pastor of the Gilford Community Church, will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Gilford Community Church, 19 Potter Hill Road, Gilford, NH, 03249.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia, N. H. is assisting the family. For more information and to view an online memorial go to www.wilkinsonbeane.com.