Margaret "Cookie" Thompson

Margaret “Cookie” Thompson, age 74, of Calmar, IA, died on Wednesday, January 27, 2016, at the Aase Haugen Nursing Home in Decorah, IA. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, February 1, 2016, at the Calmar Lutheran Church, 200 East Street, Calmar, IA, with Rev. Phillip Olson presiding. Burial will be held at the Calmar Lutheran Cemetery, Calmar, IA. Friends may call from 2:00-5:00 p.m., on Sunday, January 31, 2016, at the Schluter – Balik Funeral Home, French Chapel, 202 South Washington Street, Calmar, IA, and also after 10:00 a.m., at the church on Monday morning Margaret “Cookie” Elizabeth (Kala) Thompson was born on September 2, 1941, the daughter of Joseph Stephen Kala and Katherine Marjorie (Blaess) Kala in Spillville, IA. Margaret was baptized at home on October 26th, 1941 by Reverend Quail. Baptism sponsors were Mrs. Clara Ellis, Mrs. Minnie Blaess and Harold Bloomfield. Reverend Lunde, of the Calmar Lutheran Church, confirmed Margaret on May 8, 1955. Margaret graduated from grade school on May 16, 1955. Margaret’s high school class was the first class to graduate from South Winneshiek Community Schools on May 29, 1959. She married Einer LaVerne Thompson (of Sumner Township/rural Spillville) on June 5, 1960, at the Calmar Lutheran Church, by Pastor L.C. Anderson. To this union two children were born, Scott and Beth. Margaret and Einer resided in Calmar for the next fifty years. Einer passed away on December 11, 2010. Margaret was employed by Frances Moudry at the Home Café in Calmar for a few years before being a stay-at-home mom. She graduated from Area One (Northeast Iowa Community College) in March 1976 as a certified nurse’s aide. Margaret worked for over twenty years at the Aase Haugen Home in Decorah, IA as a certified nurse’s aide. Margaret was a member of the Calmar Lutheran Church since 1953. She participated in many church activities; volunteering in the church office, and was active with WELCA before a decline in her health. She enjoyed traveling with her husband on organized bus tours and watching TV. Margaret loved family & friends. She always enjoyed coffee with friends on Saturday mornings at the Decorah Bakery and at the coffee social hour after Sunday church service. Margaret and Einer felt honored to be baptismal sponsors for seven relatives. Margaret’s joy was spending time with her two grandsons. Margaret is survived by two children: Scott R. Thompson, Calmar, IA; and Beth (Scott) Ferguson, Suwanee, GA. Two grandchildren: Gage & Finn Ferguson, Suwanee, GA. One sister and one brother-in-law: Virginia “Ginny” & Paul Pavlovec, Decorah, IA. Three sisters-in-law: Jeanette Wilhelm, Surprise, AZ; Beverly Starkey, Waterloo, IA; Phyllis Thompson, Decorah, IA, Along with many nieces & nephews. Margaret was preceded in death by her husband: Einer L. Thompson. Her parents: Joseph Kala and Katherine (Blaess) Kala Koshatka. One step-father: James “Jim” Koshatka. One sister: JoAnne Anderson. One brother: Robert “Bob” Kala. Five brothers-in-law: Ronald Anderson, Melvin Thompson, Ernest Thompson, Stanley Thompson, Melvin Wilhelm. Two sisters-in-law: Alice Thompson, Lois Mae Thompson. Her father-in-law and mother-in-law: Benjamin and Amanda (Albertson) Thompson. One niece: Nancy (Joe) Alden.