Elizabeth "Letty" Loretta Thompson

Letty Thompson, born Elizabeth Loretta Weber on March 21, 1928, in Liebenthal, Kansas, died Friday, Dec. 22, 2017, at Aldersgate Village in Topeka. She was 89. The daughter of John and Katherine Domme Weber, Letty moved to Topeka with her family in 1930 and lived there most of her life. Letty attended Quincy Grade School and Curtis Junior High School in North Topeka, and graduated from Topeka High School in 1946. She worked at Shawnee Creamery, Crosby’s and Topeka State Bank before becoming a stay-at-home mother, and later was employed by USD 501, where she was a paraprofessional for the Gifted Education program. Letty retired in 1988. Letty served in all offices (treasurer, secretary, vice president and president) of the Potwin Elementary School PTA and volunteered in the school’s library. She served on various advisory councils, including Affirmative Action, Volunteers and Kansas Special Service Paraprofessionals. She also volunteered at Stormont-Vail Hospital and served 15 years on the Supervisory Council for Educational Credit Union. Letty was a member of Potwin Presbyterian Church, the Topeka High School Historical Society and the Northeast Kansas Chapter of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia. She was a past member of LaSertoma and the Jaycee Janes, as well as the “Laff a Lot” sewing group and The Potluck Gang, a dinner group comprised of friends from her youth in North Topeka and their spouses. Letty served as a Brownie and Girl Scout leader and was an adult sponsor of Sing-Out Topeka. Letty was married to L.D. “Tommy” Thompson. He died in 1985. It was never made official, but “make sure you take a jacket” surely was our family creed. If you were traveling or going out in cool weather, you could count on mother offering her tried-and-true advice. I’m sure all of us kids learned that lesson the hard way – at least once. How we wish we could hear those words again today. Letty is survived by two daughters, Loretta Dade (Darrel), Topeka, and Kathryn Brooks (David), Ottawa; two sons, Steven Thompson (Betsy), Lawrence, and Philip Thompson (Amy), Topeka; six grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. Her parents; brothers, Leonard Weber and Lewis Weber; and sisters Lucille Sherretts and Clara Whiteman preceded Letty in death. A celebration of Letty’s life is planned for next spring. She did not want to make anyone go out in the cold – regardless of how warm a jacket they owned. Memorial contributions may be made to the Topeka High School Historical Society (Tower Society Fund), 800 W. 10th Street, Topeka KS 66612, the Kansas School for the Deaf (in memory of the John and Katherine Weber family), 450 E. Park, Olathe KS 66061 or the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, 1515 S.W. 10th Street, Topeka KS 66612.

Elizabeth "Letty" Loretta Thompson

March 21, 1928 - December 22, 2017