Dorothy Margaret Thompson

Dorothy Margaret (Kieselbach) Thompson

Dorothy Margaret (Kieselbach) Thompson, 103, passed away after a brief illness at Wellsville, Missouri on October 5, 2024, after residing for five years in the nursing home there. 

She was born November 13, 1920, to Charles Ernest Kieselbach and Emma Louise (Schwartz) Kieselbach in Jefferson City, Missouri, the fourth of six children. She grew up during the Great Depression speaking German in the home with her grandmother, Katie (Steffens) Kieselbach, who immigrated from Malstedt, Germany to Missouri. Dorothy graduated from Jefferson City High School in 1938 working after high school at the Ben Franklin Store and Central Bank & Trust Company both in Jefferson City.

She met Arthur “Quentin” Thompson of Osage City, Missouri, a fellow “Jefferson City Jay,” who would sing to her “I Found a Million Dollar Baby In A Five & Ten Cent Store.” They married July 26, 1942, in Jefferson City, Missouri and started married life during the WWII years. They lived in Linn, California and Centralia, Missouri where Quentin managed/owned Goff’s Grocery Stores and later Mr. T’s Thriftway Grocery Store. While Quentin managed the store, Dorothy assisted wherever help was needed: training checkers and carryout boys, checking groceries, cutting meat or wrapping produce. 

Living in Centralia for 69 years, she was very involved in her community supporting family activities, countless community events and was an active member of the First Baptist Church and later the Cornerstone Baptist Church.

She was also active in the P.E.O., Red Hat Society, Centralia Historical Society, and The Federated Garden Clubs of Missouri. In 2010 at age 90, she won the Regional, State and National Federated Garden Club Member Award being honored at the state convention. She worked to beautify her community and many days you would find her working the highway intersection flower beds planted through federal grants she assisted in acquiring.

She was married to the love of her life, Quentin, for 54 years and they enjoyed trout fishing, golfing, gardening and traveling both stateside and internationally together. She also loved to read, sew and cook and was known for her pear preserves which she shared with friends and family. She travelled frequently to see her children and grandchildren and they loved her dearly.

She lost her first sibling on December 7, 1941, a brother Charles Ermin Kieselbach, who served on the U.S.S. Arizona perishing in the attack on Pearl Harbor. In the 1960’s she set a reconciliation example and sponsored a Japanese friend for citizenship who resided in Centralia.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Quentin, a son Stanley Neil Thompson who passed at age 1, her daughter-in-law Elsie Thompson and her siblings Esther Stewart, Charles Ermin Kieselbach, Harold Kieselbach, Robert Kieselbach, and Kathryn Gill.

She is survived by her son, Harold Richard “Dick” Thompson of Wellsville, Missouri, daughter Karen (Ron) Cumings of Monterey, California and Nancy (Don) Snakenberg of Sigourney, Iowa. She is also survived by five grandchildren, Ann Thompson, Kari (Andy) Martindale, Trevor (Ashley) White, Diane (Travis) Egli and Derek (Megan) Snakenberg and twelve great grandchildren.

Graveside services will be 2:00 pm Saturday, October 12, 2024, at the Centralia City Cemetery in Centralia, MO. Visitation will be from 1:00 pm until service time on Saturday, October 12, 2024, at the Oliver Funeral Home in Centralia, MO. Memorial contributions may be made to the Centralia Public Library, c/o Oliver Funeral Home, P.O. Box 125, Centralia, MO 65240. Condolences may also be made to the family at www.oliverfuneralhome.net

The family of the late Mrs. Dorothy Thompson wishes to express our sincere appreciation to Gamma Road Lodge, Community Loving Care Hospice and everyone for all the prayers, phone calls, visits and many other acts of kindness shown during the time of our loss.