Gerald L. "Jerry" Thompson, age 87, of 1726 Utah Ave SE, Huron, died on Friday, October 24, 2008, at the Prairie View Care Center in Woonsocket.

His funeral service will be 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 29, at First United Methodist Church. Burial will be at Restlawn Memory Gardens Cemetery with Military Rites by the Huron Veterans Council.

Visitation will be Tuesday from 1-8 p.m. at the Welter Funeral Home or Wednesday afternoon one hour prior to the service at the church.

Gerald L. Thompson was born on November 2, 1920, to Ben and Anna (Kempf) Thompson at Storla, SD.

As a teenager he served in the CCC project at Chamberlain. In 1939, he enlisted in the United States Army. He served in Panama and participated in the invasion of Europe on Omaha Beach and went all the way to liberate Paris. After his honorable discharge in 1945, he settled in the Huron area. He worked for Standard Oil and the telephone company. He was co-owner of T&M Body Shop for many years. He retired from Armour & Company in 1982. He was a member of First United Methodist Church and the American Legion.

In 1948, Jerry married Lois I. Smith. She died in 1978. On July 6, 1979, Jerry married Ruth Poulisse at Huron.

He is survived by his wife, Ruth of Huron; a son, Rodney of Belgium; a daughter, Colleen Weber of Sioux Falls; a stepson, Neil (Pam) Poulisse of Huron; a stepdaughter, Carol (Mark) Andersen of Northfield, MN; grandchildren: Aimee (Kelly) Deckert, Erin Weber, Chelsey Weber, Anna (Dustin) Winter, Ben Thompson, Jennifer Thompson, Brandi (Tim) Knippling, Lauren (Jason) Beals and Grant Hoscheid; great-grandchildren, Karson Deckert, Meredyth Broers, Maggie, Will and Karly Knippling, and Kenneth Beals; one sister Marion Pinard of Oregon; two sisters-in-law, Mary Jane Thompson of Huron and Rumi Thompson of California; plus many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, Lois, three great-grandchildren, Natalie, Delaney and Sydney Knippling, and three brothers, Donald, Dwane and Kenneth.