Larry Walter Thompson

COTTAGE GROVE/LODI - Larry W. Thompson, age 86, of Cottage Grove and formerly Lodi, passed peacefully into eternal life on January 7, 2023. He was born on December 22, 1936, in Vernon County, Wisconsin to Merlin and Lucille B. (Rizer) Thompson. Larry’s first home was the family farm on a high hill near LaFarge where they milked cows and did their farming with workhorses. When he was four, his father started a job at Badger Ordnance and moved the family to Lodi, where Larry grew up with his younger brother Monte and sister Betty.

Larry loved growing up on the Freye Farm, on the northern edge of town, where they milked cows, raised pigs and chickens, and still did much of the work with horses until they got their first John Deere B tractor. His dad soon became the manager of the Freye Farm and four other farms and Larry helped him with much of the work, including the grueling, year-long cycle of growing tobacco.

Larry graduated from Lodi High School in 1955 and went on to serve in the U.S. Army. After basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, he did eight weeks of Wheeled Vehicle Mechanics School, where his years of experience fixing trucks and tractors on the farm with his dad came in handy. He shipped overseas, serving 18 months on a base in South Korea, just 11 miles from the border with the North, during the tense years just after the war there.

After his service and moving back to his hometown, Larry co-owned and operated a small business - the Rocket Station on Lodi’s Four Corners - before going on to work for Lodi Canning Company, first as Assistant Fieldman and eventually retiring as Raw Products Manager after 34 years with the company. For most of those years he oversaw the planting, growing, harvesting, and transporting of the pea and corn crops every year and was known for his knowledge, integrity, respect among the farmers and field crew, and ability to troubleshoot any problem that came along.

Larry married Bonnie Borgrud in 1982, living in Lodi and spending many winters among a fun and close community of friends in Zephyrhills, Florida. Larry and Bonnie were best friends, inseparable life partners, and spent their days outside of work walking, biking, canoeing, finding flea markets and garage sales, and creating a beautiful home and yard. For years they had a cottage on Rock Dam Lake in Clark County, where family loved to visit for lake fun and ATV-ing on local trails. Larry and Bonnie traveled extensively, visiting Alaska, Norway, East Africa, and many other destinations. After retirement, they moved closer to family in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin.

Larry loved life with his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and their families. He enjoyed salvaging and restoring International Harvester tractors, building and fixing any and every thing for his family members. They loved playing cards, board games, shuffleboard, and other activities with friends and family in Wisconsin and Florida.

Larry was preceded in death by his parents, Merlin and Lucille, as well as his grandparents. He will be deeply missed by his loving wife Bonnie; his brother, Monte (Mary) Thompson and his sister, Betty (Jeff) Clark; his children, Barb (Martin), Christine (Chuck), JoEllen (Lance), and Eric (Manju); his grandchildren, Kasey (Joseph), Cole, Laura (Jarrid), Benjamin, Nicho, Joseph, Peter (Kelly), and Ethan; his great-grandchildren, Lily, Stella, Cora, Harrison, and Maddie; nephew Steve (Sue); niece, Leah (Mark); grandniece, Jennifer (Adam); grandnephew, Christopher; and many extended family members and friends.

A funeral service for Larry will be held at LODI UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 130 Locust St., Lodi, on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, with visitation from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. followed by a memorial service at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Larry's memory to Agrace Hospice.

The family of Larry extends their deepest gratitude to the many friends, family, and neighbors who have reached out with gestures of love and support; and to the wonderful staff of Agrace Hospice who supported him in passing so gracefully into eternal life.

Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com

Gunderson Lodi

Funeral & Cremation Care

157 S. Main St.

(608) 592-3201