Larry Thompson Sr., 77, went to be with his Lord on Sunday, February 28, 2016.
He was born in Swanville, Minnesota to Theadore Thompson and Crystal Burch in 1938. Larry grew up on a lakeshore in Northern Minnesota where he attended a one-room schoolhouse. The family moved to California where he graduated from Poly High School in Riverside, California. In 1961, while attending Life Bible College in Los Angeles, California he married the love of his life, Mollie Wade Thompson. He graduated from seminary in 1963. They were assistant pastors in El Cerrito, California before moving to Concordia in 1964 to pastor the Four Square Church. Larry also was a pastor in South Dakota before moving his family to Newton in 1971 where he pastored Hillcrest Community Church for almost 30 years before retiring. He served the Newton community not only as a church leader, but as a member of the Substance Abuse board from 1978 to 1984 and was a 1992 class graduate of Leadership Newton. His life was dedicated to serving the Lord and leading others to Christ.
Larry is survived by his wife, Mollie Thompson; daughters Desiree and her husband Kent Martens, Melissa and her husband Larry Beck; and son Larry Thompson Jr and his wife, Angela; as well as nine grandchildren: John and his wife Roxanne, Alex, Kenzie Martens and Madison, Kennedy, Jack Beck and London, Lauren and Olivia Thompson. Larry was proceeded in death by his father Theadore Thompson, mother Crystal Thompson and brothers Ted and Tommy Thompson.
A Celebration of Life service will be held on Thursday, March 3, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at the Mennonite Brethren Church, 610 West Randall in Hesston. Memorials may be made to New Life Covenant Youth Camp Scholarship fund, 2301 North Hoover Rd., Wichita, KS 67205.
