Mary Ellen Thompson

Mary Ellen Thompson, formerly of Fargo, died peacefully July 3 at St John’s Hospital in the Twin Cities, surrounded by her three daughters. She was known for her kindness and genuine interest in others and was gracious in the old style, warmly enveloping everyone in her hospitality. She had a special interest in children and their welfare and was a strong supporter of the arts. She started singing as a small child and music was a focal point throughout her life. Born Mary Ellen Pentecost, Feb. 15, 1919 in Gadsden, Alabama, she was the daughter of Frank and Minnie Lee (McCord) Pentecost and was raised by her grandparents, Edgar Oliver and Rena Bell (Hudson) McCord. She received a Bachelor of Music in 1940 from the University of Montevallo, Alabama. In 1940 and 1941 she was Director of Elementary Music and Assistant to the High School Music Director in Shaw, Mississippi and did Master's Degree work in voice at Chicago Musical College during those summers. On December 30, 1941 she married John Seth (Jack) Thompson, then taught music and piano in the Leonard, ND public schools. During World War II, Mary Ellen and Jack moved frequently to bases around the United States. Later she taught in the Fargo area and was a soloist at numerous local churches. Mary Ellen was active in many organizations including the PEO Sisterhood, Fargo-Moorhead Women’s Chorus, PTA, Prosequi, Fargo Fine Arts Club, Fargo Music Club, Garden Club and the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra Women’s Auxiliary. She served as a trustee of Lake Agassiz Arts Council, was a patroness of SAI Musical Fraternity, a charter and board member of Lake Agassiz Girl’s Choir, on the Clay County Council of Camp Fire Girls board, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association and a district co-chair for United Way. She established a number of scholarships which are still funding students in North Dakota, Alabama and Minnesota. Her church activities were plentiful, and she was a continuous member of the Methodist church for 77 years. She taught Sunday School, sang in the choir, was on the board of directors of the kindergarten school, active with the Nokomis Day Care Center and church circles, chaired many prayer breakfasts and spiritual and marriage retreats. She was honored with the State Methodist “Jewel of a Woman” Award in the 1990s. She and her husband traveled all over the world and she was proud to have visited six continents and 49 states. Following Jack’s death in 1988, she assumed full responsibility for their real estate ventures and managed commercial real estate properties for over a decade. In the mid-90s she began spending winters in the Twin Cities to be near her daughters, and moved there in 2001. She is preceded in death by her husband, parents, grandparents, a brother, Frank Pentecost, and a sister, Elizabeth Burt. She is survived by her daughters, Daphne Thompson, (Bill Curtis); Elizabeth Schmidt, (Richard); Jacqueline Thompson, (Eugene Frazer); brother and sister-in-law, Eric and Nan Pentecost of Rainbow City, AL; grandchildren Fran DuCharme (Philip Harrison), Dave DuCharme (Heather), John Schmidt (Jennifer), Greg Schmidt (Kari), Nicholas Bjone (Latisha) and Samantha Bjone (Angus McKenzie) and eleven great-grandchildren. A memorial service celebrating her life will be held Tuesday July 8, 2008 at 10:00 AM at First United Methodist Church of Fargo. In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to First United Methodist Church - Fargo, the Fargo YWCA Emergency Shelter Transitional Housing, or HealthEast Hospice Care of Saint Paul.