OUR THOMPSON ANCESTORS

The "Spirit of Elijah" is working within me, moving my heart to think about my Thompson ancestors at this time. I believe that everything centers around the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I honor my forebears who grasped the full truth of Jesus Christ as restored to the earth by the prophet Joseph Smith.

Knowing my kindred dead and being sealed to them is a priority in my life. According to our records, it was John Thompson who joined the Church in Burke's Garden, Virginia in 1841, but out of his seven children, it was his son, George Peery Thompson and George's wife, Elizabeth Virginia Ward, who fulfilled the wish of his father, John Thompson, to uproot to "Zion" and be faithful in the church. George and Virginia spent their remaining years in Riverdale, Utah, doing temple work for their living dead, of which I am most grateful.

We start with George Peery Thompson, born Mar. 27, 1836~died Feb. 9, 1913. After joining the LDS Church with his wife, they moved west to Utah in 1879 with their only son, John Randolph Thompson, my grandfather.

George served four years in the Civil War since 1861. At the Battle of Fisher Hill, a cannonball blew up beside him, knocking him unconscious. When he woke up, he was a prisoner, being imprisoned at Point Lookout in Maryland, where the unsanitary conditions and illness swept through the whole area. He entered the war as a big 6' tall man weighing 210 pounds, but after his release in 1865, after the war ended, he weighed 139 pounds. His hearing was also damaged. Nevertheless, he was robust and healthy his whole life.

George Peery Thompson was a visionary man, and his dreams and impressions helped in guiding his daily life. His spiritual habit was to fast every Sunday.

George Peery Thompson, my great-grandfather.

This is a picture of George Perry Thompson's mustache cup and a New Testament that he used while at Point Lookout prison during his capture. The people from Burke's Garden, Tazewell County, in Virginia, where George was born and raised, were very strong, God-fearing Christians.
John Thompson, born Dec. 25, 1804~died Feb. 8, 1877, father of George Peery Thompson. He was taught the gospel by Elder Jedediah M. Grant at Burke's Garden (during Jedediah's fourth mission), and was probably baptized with his sister in 1841. After he learned about the Word of Wisdom he said, "If Joseph Smith said tobacco is not good for the body, then I am not going to raise it." Those words showed the strong faith within the heart of this plantation owner who probably raised tobacco for a living. He made his children promise that after he died they would sell their land and move to "Zion" to be with the "saints." George Perry Thompson was his only offspring to come to Utah and remain faithful to the church.

I feel blessed that we are descended through this faithful lineage of John Thompson and his son, George Peery Thompson.

John Thompson, my great-great grandfather

The John Thompson home in Burke's Garden, Virginia. George Peery Thompson and his brothers built this home after the Civil War after their orginal home had burned. My parents, Karl Randolph Thompson/Maudie Mae Hull Thompson, traveled in 1975 to Burke's Garden, Virginia, and saw the old John Thompson gravestone and home. It was still owned by members of the Thompson family and housed the original pump organ that had been played by Elizabeth Virginia Ward Thompson, wife of George Peery Thompson, before they moved west.
Lydia Graham Ward, born Mar. 6, 1803/1807~died Jan. 20, 1870. George Peery Thompson's mother.

Lydia Graham Ward, my great-great grandmother.

Elizabeth Virginia Ward, born Nov. 7, 1847~died, Feb. 2, 1912. She married George Peery Thompson Oct. 6, 1868. This artistic and tiny lady was well-educated for her time and probably taught school in her younger years. She was only 14 years old when her mother died of consumption at age 31. Elizabeth was just 23 years old when she, herself, became very ill and had six tumors removed internally. During her whole life she was plagued with much illness, but never ceased to rely upon the Holy Spirit to strengthen her.

Elizabeth, "Betsy," as her beloved husband called her, was very musically gifted. She sang beautifully and played the pump organ which was left behind when they moved west. She strictly observed the Word of Wisdom and firmly believed that her life had been prolonged because of her adherence to this principle. She wrote much in her journal, expressing her great faith in God. She and George paid their tithing earnestly and had a keen interest in genealogical work, spending much time in the Logan and SL Temples. She greatly believed in prayer and had a special place under an apple tree in their orchard for her meditations. They also began each day with a family prayer circle.

She and her family loved homemade ice cream, and it was Elizabeth who ferreted out the largest freezer that could be found.

Elizabeth Virginia Ward, my great-grandmother.

Elizabeth's hymnbook and glasses.

Elizabeth's father, James Franklin Ward, born Feb. 28, 1824~died Feb. 1869. Letters indicate that he was a very kind-hearted and considerate man. He was born in Black Lick, Wythe, Virginia.

James Franklin Ward, my great-great grandfather.

Louisa Jane Ward, born June 11, 1828~died 1861, my great, great grandmother.
This quilt was done in the Rose-of-Sharon pattern. It ws entirely hand-made by her or her mother. Using nature's ingredients to formulate the dyes, the fabric was colored in hues of deep pink, yellow and green, appliqued on a white background. Cotton was used for the batting, and when held to the light, you could see the small seeds that were not removed. She gave it to her daughter, Elizabeth Virginia Ward, who brought it west to Utah and was Elizabeth's prized possession. It was Elizabeth's wish that the quilt be given to a child bearing the name of her mother, Louisa. So, it was given to Avalyn Louisa, whose mother was my Aunt Louisa Thompson Butler (my father's sister).

These spoons, coin silver, were supposedly buried in the orchard during the Civil Ward so no one would steal them. They belonged to Louisa Jane Ward.
John Randolph Thompson, born May 19, 1876~died March 23, 1936. This was Elizabeth Virginia Ward/George Peery Thompson's only son. He was born in Burke's Garden, Virginia, and died in Riverdale, Utah. There are several inspiring and miraculous stories of his healings and blessings he received when he was a small boy. These faith-promoting experiences, passed down to us by authorized genealogical records and my father, have led me to believe that this man, with his large posterity, was to carry the good faith and name of his parents for generations.

His life certainly fulfilled the blessings he had been given in his early life. He grew to be a large man...6' 4" tall, 245 pounds. He had a large family...eleven children, and he made his life colorful and eventful. While he was at college he purchased a violin and began a study of music that was to involve him for many years. His musical abilities eventually led to a proficiency in playing many instruments...autoharp, zither, clarinet, trombone, mandolin...and played in a small orchestra that was in demand at numerous church functions throughout the county. Plus, he had a beautiful bass voice and participated in many church plays and many other activities.

John knew the scriptures well and conducted "family home evenings" nearly every night with his many children. He also inherited the family trait of being extremely fond of homemade ice cream, and could polish off a two-quart freezer all by himself. A practical joker, a reader, a dreamer, a meditator, he, at times, reminisced about the future, and predicted upcoming events. He gave to the poor, with my mother's family being a recipient of his kindness. He taught theology in his Sunday School classes, and was a faithful temple worker.

John Randolph Thompson, my grandfather

This trunk was used by John when he went to Brigham Young College in Logan, Utah.

Drucilla Hutchinson, born Feb. 17, 1880~died Aug. 8, 1960, my grandmother. John and Drucilla were married April 10, 1901.

This friendship cup and wooden candlesticks Drucilla placed on her dresser.

Marritt Hutchinson, Drucilla's father and my great-grandfather. Ardelia Narcissus George, Drucilla's mother and my great-grandmother.

Pedigree chart showing the close inter-marriages within the area of Burke's Garden, Virginia. Please note the two places that show George Peery Thompson/Elizabeth Virginia Ward, who were distant cousins.
The information I have given has been taken from my cousin's book, "Virginia Connections, A Genealogical History of the Thompson-Ward Family Originating in Southwest Virginia" by Judy B. Anderson