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. HELEN LAURA KOEBLER WAS BORN TO FRANK AND ELIZABETH KOEBLER. SHE WAS ONE OF SIX SISTERS AND TWO BROTHERS RAISED IN A LOG CABIN NEAR THE NEENAH CREEK IN THE FORT WINNEBAGO AREA. SHE WAS MARRIED TO CHARLES JOHN THOMPSON, WHO WORKED FOR THE MILWAUKEE RAILROAD. AFTER BEING MARRIED, AND HAVING CHILDREN OF HER OWN, MOTHER FREQUENTLY TOOK HER FAMILY TO THE KOEBLER FARM, WHERE MOM'S MOTHER, ELIZABETH KOEBLER, LOVED TO SEE HER GRANDCHIDREN. MOTHER WORKED HARD TO SEND HER SEVEN CHILDREN TO ST. JOHN'S LUTHERAN SCHOOL, AND, GIVE THEM THE BEST EDUCATION THAT SHE COULD. FOR OVER 50 YEARS, SHE HAS OWNED, AND TAKEN CARE OF, HER OWN HOME, AND YET, THROUGHOUT HER LONG LIFETIME, SHE HAS NEVER LIVED MORE THAN TEN MILES FROM THE LOG CABIN WHERE SHE WAS BORN. THE KOEBLER FARM, FOR MANY YEARS, WAS THE GATHERING PLACE, FOR THE ADULT KOEBLER CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. WITH THE PASSING OF TIME, HELEN LAURA THOMPSON, HER PERSON AND HER HOUSE, BECAME A GATHERING PLACE FOR HER SISTERS AND BROTHERS, AND THEN ALSO, FOR HER OWN CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. MOM FREQUENTLY DID A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS WITH MANY OF THEM AND LOVED TO PLAY EUCHRE AND SHEEPSHEAD WITH HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS. WHEN HER SEVEN CHILDREN GREW UP, SHE REMAINED IN CONTACT WITH ALL OF THEM, AND THEIR FAMILIES. HER HOME BECAME A SPECIAL PLACE FOR HER GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT GRANDCHILDREN AS WELL OUR LEGACY, WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND US INTHE WORLD, MAY WELL BE MEASURED BY THE POSITIVE INFLUENCE WE HAVE HAD ON HELPING OTHERS. SHE HAS HAD A TREMENDOUS INFLUENCE, AND A GREAT IMPACT ON, THOSE THAT SHE GAVE BIRTH TO, AS WELL AS THE GENERATIONS OF DESCENDANTS THAT HER CHILDREN HAVE HELPED GIVE LIFE TO. MOM WAS A POPULAR LADY, AND SHE IS NOT ONLY MUCH LOVED, BUT ALSO, SHE IS MUCH LIKED. IT IS NOT SURPRISING, THAT A PERSON SUCH AS MOM, DEVELOPS VERY WARM RELATIONSHIPS OUTSIDE OF HER IMMEDIATE FAMILY. BASICALLY, BECAUSE PEOPLE ENJOYED BEING WITH HER. MANY OF HER EMPLOYERS BECAME PERSONAL FRIENDS, SHARING COFFEE, LUNCHES, AND EVEN MARTINIS. SHE IS SPOKEN HIGHLY OF AS A FRIEND, AND DESCRIBED AS BEING A PERSON THAT PEOPLE REALLY ENJOYED BEING WITH. SHE LIKED BEING INDEPENDENT, AND LIVING IN HER OWN HOME. MOTHER TRAVELLED TO OTHER STATES, ILLINOIS, IOWA, GEORGIA, AND EVEN THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA. ONCE HER CHILDREN WERE OUT OF THE NEST, SHE DID LOOK IN ON THEM FROM TIME TO TIME, TO SEE HOW THEY WERE DOING. AND SHE CONTINUED DOING THIS, THROUGHOUT HER LIFE. SHE LET YOU KNOW WHAT SHE THOUGHT. BUT THROUGHOUT HER LIFE, SHE HAD A KIND AND GIVING HEART, NOT ONLY TO HER LARGE AND STILL GROWING FAMILY, BUT ALSO TO HER MANY FRIENDS AS WELL. MOTHER HAS MISSED TWO OF HER FRIENDS THAT SHE WAS ESPECIALLY CLOSE TO, ALL OF HER LIFE. THESE WERE HATTIE LITTLE, AND, DORIS SMITH. TODAY, SHE NO LONGER MISSES HATTIE AND DORIS, BECAUSE NOW, SHE IS WITH THEM. MOTHER WAS OUR FIRST FRIEND, AND, A STRONG ADVISOR. SHE ONLY PRAYED THAT EACH OF US WOULD BE HAPPY. MOM WAS VERY GRATEFUL FOR HER LIFE, AND FOR ALL THE YEARS THAT SHE HAD LIVED AND THE THINGS THAT SHE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO. MOTHER TRULY FELT, AND OFTEN EXPRESSED, THAT SHE HAD SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR. WE, ALSO, ARE GRATEFUL. HELEN LAURA THOMPSON, WIFE AND MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER, GREATGRANDMOTHER, AND EVEN GREAT GREATGRANDMOTHER. WE ARE THANKFUL, THAT SHE WAS, AND IS, IN OUR LIFE. RETYPED 8-5-04 BY HER ELDEST SON REV. ROBERT J THOMPSON |
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