Clarence “Sonny” Thompson, 88, Belfield, died Sunday, March 31, 2019 in Fargo. Sonny’s Funeral Service will be 11 a.m., Saturday, April 6, 2019 at Belfield Lutheran Church, Belfield with Pastor Timothy Johnson and Pastor Jerry Erickson officiating. Interment will take place at Belfield Lutheran Cemetery. Military Honors will be provided by the Belfield American Legion William C. Blair Post 144. Visitation will be Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday.
Clarence Cornelius “Sonny” Thompson was born January 31, 1931, in Dickinson, the second of three children born to Clarence Theodore and Minnie (Cornelius) Thompson.
Sonny grew up in Belfield, where his father owned and operated Thompson Hardware. He graduated from Belfield High School, class of 1948. After graduating, he attended the North Dakota State School of Science. It was in high school that he met the first love of his life, Barbara Louise Bredberg. They were married on May 19, 1950 in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
In 1952, Sonny enlisted in the Air Force, and following basic training in Biloxi, Miss., he was stationed in Japan, where he served as a radio controller during the Korean War. He was discharged early, after his father suddenly died, and he returned home to help his mother run the hardware store. In 1958, he bought the store, and he and Barbara continued to run it for the next 35 years. It was a family affair, with daughters Cindy and Susan helping out after school and in the summer.
Sonny had many interests and passions. He was a Ham Radio Operator (W0RTK), pilot, amateur photographer, and local historian. He was a member and chief of the Belfield Volunteer Fire Department and past president of the Minnesota-Dakota Hardware Association. He belonged to the American Legion, William C. Post 144, where he was post chaplain and on the color guard.
He was a lifelong member of Belfield Lutheran Church, baptized in March 1931 and confirmed in 1945. Over the years Sonny served on the parish council and was church treasurer and frequent handyman. He was part of the crew that built the new church in 1962-63, and his dedication to the congregation spilled over to the Belfield Lutheran Cemetery, where he was sexton for 68 years.
In January 2015, his loving wife of nearly 65 years died. It was then that he met the second love of his life, this time at the Belfield Senior Center. After a sweet courtship, on September 18, 2016, Sonny and Josephine (Haverluk) Shypkoski were wed at St. John’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Belfield.
Sonny will be remembered for his easy laugh, kind demeanor, and helpful nature. He loved his family, taking joy in the accomplishments of his daughters and his grandchildren. He enjoyed silent movies, polka music, the comics section in the newspaper, and talking to his buddies on the radio. He was 100% Norwegian, a maker of lefse and lover of lutefisk.
Sonny was preceded in death by his parents; infant sons, Tyler Norman and Thomas James; beloved wife Barbara; and sisters, Darlene Jucker and Maureen Miller. He is survived by wife Josie; daughters, Susan (Timothy) Johnson, Moorhead, Minn., and Cynthia (James) Nelson, Minneapolis, Minn.; grandchildren, Andrew Johnson (Ali Nelson and son Blake), Maple Grove, Minn., Anna (Andrew) Wallenkamp, Denver, Colo., and Maren Nelson, Minneapolis; and great-grandson Theodore Wallenkamp.
Memorials are preferred to Belfield Lutheran Church, Badlands Ministries, or to the donor’s choice.
