LaVerne Rae Thompson, 96

LaVerne Rae Thompson was born on July 22, 1930, in Deer River, Minnesota, to Marybelle Dorothy (Peck) Thompson and Howard LeRoy Thompson. He passed away at his home in rural Baudette on September 9, 2026, at the age of 96.

LaVerne grew up on a farm just north of Deer River, Minnesota, and attended school there along with his four brothers and three sisters. Many of the family’s neighbors were aunts, uncles and cousins, and throughout his life he spoke fondly of growing up surrounded by family and of the neighbors who became lifelong friends.

On September 30, 1949, at the age of 19, LaVerne enlisted in the U.S. Army. He was sent to Korea in July 1950, just as the Korean War began, serving with the 1st Cavalry Division, 7th Cavalry Regiment, as a command post runner. He spent his 20th birthday in a foxhole during a six-day stay there.

Just one week later, on July 29, 1950, a mortar shell landed beside him, seriously wounding LaVerne and killing the three soldiers who shared the foxhole with him. As he was being transported to a M.A.S.H. unit, the jeep carrying him came under enemy fire, and he was wounded a second time. Back home in Deer River, his parents received a telegram telling them their son had been seriously wounded in action and that his recovery was questionable.

After about a week in a M.A.S.H. unit, LaVerne was transferred to a hospital in Japan and later to hospitals in the United States. It would be 13 months after he was wounded before he finally returned home to Deer River. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Combat Infantryman Badge for his service. LaVerne was discharged as a Private First Class on October 18, 1951, while at Beaumont Army Hospital at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Once home, LaVerne worked for the Itasca Iron News in Coleraine. He soon decided that wasn’t the work for him and moved to the Twin Cities in search of something different. There he began his career with the General Services Administration (GSA), working at the Federal Building/Post Office in St. Paul.

More importantly, while he was still home in Deer River, LaVerne had begun spending time with his younger sister’s friend, Irma Benson. The two were married on July 3, 1954, with their wedding serving as the grand finale of a Fourth of July Home Talent Show in Coleraine. Together they began a marriage that would last 62 years.

LaVerne and Irma welcomed their first three children, Rocky, Kenny and Sandy, while living in the Deer River area. After moving to St. Paul, their son Marty joined the family.

City life wasn’t really for LaVerne, and he was happy to accept a transfer that took the family north to Duluth. In 1965, they moved even farther north—this time to Baudette—when LaVerne became superintendent of the brand-new Federal Building/Post Office. Their youngest son, Jeff, was born after the family made rural Baudette their home.

Although LaVerne was well known throughout the community, he was a quiet man who was happiest at home, outdoors, or spending time with family and a small circle of good friends. The family attended Pitt Community Church, and LaVerne was a member of the American Legion in Baudette. He was often the dad quietly working in the background, helping with 4-H, youth group activities and whatever else his children were involved in. After retirement, weekday coffee with a group of friends at the Baudette Bakery became a longtime and treasured routine.

Hunting—especially whitetail deer—was an all-consuming hobby for LaVerne. He also enjoyed having a fish house on the ice of the Rainy River in the days when very few others were doing the same. He loved gardening, took great pride in caring for his lawn, and especially enjoyed camping with his family.

In the mid-1980s, LaVerne started an annual family camping trip along the Bankton Trail in Beltrami Island State Forest. As the family grew and more space was needed, the gathering moved to Faunce Campground. What began as LaVerne’s family camping trip became a tradition that has continued through the generations and remains part of the family today.

LaVerne is survived by his five children, Rocky (Lori) Thompson, Kenny (Terri) Thompson, Sandy (Pete) Peterson, Marty (Pam) Thompson and Jeff (Vickey) Thompson, all of rural Lake of the Woods County; his brother, Rodney Thompson; his twin sister, Lorraine Storlie; 17 grandchildren; 44 great-grandchildren; and 11 great-great-grandchildren, with another great-grandchild and great-great-grandchild expected this winter. He is also survived by many beloved nieces and nephews, sister-in-law Marion Benson and brother-in-law Bill Benson.

Life changed forever for LaVerne in 2016 when he lost Irma, his wife of 62 years. He was also preceded in death by his parents, Marybelle and Howard Thompson; sisters Helen Arver and Sylvia Stangland; brothers Harlow Thompson, Lyle Thompson and Howard Thompson; granddaughter Angie Thompson; and great-grandson Tristan Westlake.

A graveside service with full military honors will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at Pitt-Riverside Cemetery. All family and friends are warmly invited to attend the graveside service and to gather for food and fellowship immediately afterward at Faunce Campground—a place where LaVerne helped create some of his family’s fondest memories and where the tradition he began continues today.