H. Harlow Thompson

H. Harlow Thompson, age 84 of Grand Forks, ND passed away Sunday, December 11, 2011 at Valley Memorial Homes Eldercare Center in Grand Forks. Henry Harlow Skyberg Thompson was born July 24, 1927, in Crookston, MN, the son of Henry M. and Olga (Skyberg) Thompson. He was baptized and confirmed at the Sand Hill Lutheran Church. He attended the Climax MN public schools and graduated from Climax High School as salutatorian in 1945. He farmed together with his father until 1949. Harlow attended the University of North Dakota and the University of Minnesota where he was a member of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. During college he worked for the Department of Agricultural Economics. He graduated from the U of M in 1950 with a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Business Administration and in 1952 with a Master's degree in Agricultural Economics. His thesis was "An Economic Analysis of Farmers Cooperative Purchasing Associations in Minnesota 1949-50." From 1952 to 1954 Harlow served in the US Army during the Korean War. He was with the 867th FA Battalion and 52nd Group Headquarters, both at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. Harlow began employment with the Farm Credit System in 1954 and worked there for over thirty years. For the first 20 years he was with the Production Credit Association in Grand Forks, the last 14 years of which he served as chief executive officer. In 1974 Harlow began work as Senior Vice President, Association Administration with the Federal Intermediate Credit Bank of St. Paul. and was in charge of the supervision of the 46 PCA's in the Seventh Farm Credit District. Later he worked for all three Farm Credit Banks of St. Paul as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He retired from that position in 1984. From 1985 to 1987 he headed up a national credit review and agricultural appraisal team for the Farm Credit Capital Corporation of Kansas City, MO, working in such diverse areas as catfish farming in Mississippi to sea going fishing vessels of the West Coast. On February 17, 1961, Harlow married the love of his life Donna Johnson Stoa at St. Marks Lutheran Church in Grand Forks. At Donna's urging, Harlow twice served on the St. Marks church council. The family lived in Grand Forks until 1974 when they moved to Woodbury and later to West St. Paul, MN. In 1984 they returned to Grand Forks where he resided at the time of his death. Harlow and Donna had been married 47 years when she passed away February 24, 2008. Harlow enjoyed fishing, cross-country skiing and golfing. At age 68 he scored his only hole in one at Lincoln Golf Course playing with Duane Taylor and Jim Virden. Harlow and Donna also enjoyed golfing together. At one time a photo of them golfing at Valley Golf appeared on the front page of the East Grand Forks Exponent. They were also involved in league bowling. They enjoyed the many years at their lake home and pontooning on Lake Beltrami. Harlow and Donna shared an avid interest in family history. They had traced a common ancestry from the mid 1100's in Norway back to 0080 B.C. Harlow and Donna each compiled and wrote three books on their ancestry. For Harlow, the first book "Norwegian Roots To American Branches" was on his Thompson-Thronson-Frederikson families and was published in 1984. The second "Paths From The Past" was on his Skyberg-Helvig ancestry and was published in 1987. Both are on file at historical societies in Minnesota, North Dakota and Norway. The third "Precious Family Ties" The Ancestral History of Scott Harlow Thompson was published in 2009 and traced the family history back to 0080 BC. Harlow was a paid up for life member of American Legion Post 157 in East Grand Forks, MN. and a life member of Bismarck-Mandan Elks Lodge 1199 He is survived by a loving family, three sons, Scott H. Thompson, Clinton, MD, Jeffrey G. (Marcella) Stoa, rural Buxton, ND. Terry A. (Heather) Stoa, Decatur, IL, a sister, Gladys M. (Mrs. Donald) Rizzi, Alameda, CA. Four grandchildren, Kristin Stoa (Kirk) Bainbridge. DesMoines, IA, Brandon Stoa, Grand Forks. Kassidy (Dustin) Robles, East Grand Forks. MN and Ryan and Elizabeth Stoa Luedtke, Summit Hill, PA and three great grandchildren, Jessa and Emmy Robles, and Wesley Allen Bainbridge. Memorials are suggested to St. Marks Lutheran Church Funeral: Services will be 11:00 a.m. Friday, December 16, 2011 at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 724 24th Avenue South in Grand Forks. Visitation: 5 to 7 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. Prayer Service Thursday, December 15, 2011 at Amundson Funeral Home 2975 South 42nd Street. Grand Forks and one hour before the services at St. Mark's. Burial will be at Memorial Park Cemetery in Grand Forks. The East Grand Forks American Legion Post 157 and VFW Post #3817 will conduct military rites.