GEORGE D. THOMPSON
George Dean Thompson was born Sept 28, 1947 at McCook to Leo Dean and Doris (Carpender) Thompson.
He grew up on the family farm just south of Stockville near the Spring and Medicine Creeks. This was the perfect spot for a boy who loved to explore, trap and hunt.
George attended grade school at District #9 in Stockville. He attended high school in Curtis at U.N.S.A through his Junior year and then quit school.
From then on he was forever a Frontier County farmer and rancher.
George was married to Jean Osterhoudt Lenz on June 8, 1979. They made their home on the old Bill and Margaret Shelley farm southeast of Stockville. Jean had two grown sons, Randy and Kelly Metcalf.
George had a lot of interests and most all included being in the great outdoors. He love to hunt, fish, set catfish lines, trap coyotes or bobcats or coons, and hunting coyotes with the neighborhood folks with coyote hounds and an airplane. He could weld anything he could dream up and that included assisting other local guys with welding the metal grandstand at the fairgrounds that replaced the old wooden structure. He welded roping chutes, gates, and countless livestock panels, But his horses and cattle were probably his true calling.
He took pride in raising good looking cattle, raising quality performance quarter horses, and competing in team penning and team roping.
And he held team roping jackpots at his arena for several years. George also loved looking for arrowheads on the family farm and had amassed a nice collection.
George loved the land and all nature had to offer but nothing brought him more pleasure than visiting with family and friends....or even strangers. If he called you on the phone, you just as well find a comfy chair as it was going to be awhile before you got back to what you were doing. He was a good neighbor & friend helping anyone that needed it whether it was his time or loaning tools and equipment.
George served on the Frontier County Fair Board for many years. He always helped dig graves by hand at Arbor Cemetery until machinery took over that job. He even had a ‘special’ shovel for grave digging that was not to be used by anyone else. When able, he could be found pushing a mower at ‘clean up day’ at the cemetery. He was an accomplished water skier, loved to dance, play pitch, and eat ice cream, lots of ice cream!
Later on he did a lot of custom swathing and baling. And when he got his chain saw running, he attacked unwanted trees with a vengeance...probably only stopping when the gas tank was empty.
That’s how he tackled every job-- “full throttle”... nothing was ever done in the slow mode.
George did not have children of his own but he was very fond of his nephews Mike and Dan Chesley. There were lots of adventures and memory making when the Chesley boys stayed with Grandma Thompson for a few days. He enjoyed teaching them his tricks of trapping, roping and calling critters. Those three guys have remained close even after Mike & Dan were grown with families of their own.
George and Jean moved to the Thompson home place in 2023 when the Bill Shelley place sold. He remained in his childhood home the rest of his earthly life. George passed away on June 2, 2026 at CHI Hospital in Kearney Nebraska after losing the battle with heart failure.
Survivors include his wife Jean; sister Jo and her husband Dave; nephew Mike and wife Ann and their daughters Jodean and Sadie and nephew Dan and wife Heidi and their daughters Karsyn and Tallyn. A multitude of friends and neighbors will also miss George and his slight smile, hearty laugh and generous heart.
A register book signing took place on Monday, June 8, 2026 from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM at Blase-Wetzel-Strauser Memorial Chapel, with the family present.
Funeral service was held on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 10:30 AM at the Stockville Fair Grounds with Pastor Kort Kemp officiating.
Burial followed in the Arbor Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Stockville Congregational Church, Frontier County Fair board, or the Stockville Womens Club Fireworks Fund.
