Our cherished Mother, Grandmother and Friend, Evelyn Mae Thompson left with the angels Sunday, July 3 in Santa Barbara after suffering a brain hemorrhage, surrounded by her loving family. She had recently celebrated her 88th birthday with the traditional Thompson family picnic at Biddle Ranch Park in Arroyo Grande.

She was born in San Francisco in 1923 to Maude and James Hendrickson. She had a fraternal twin sister, Helen, and also had twin brothers, Jim and Joe, all of whom preceded her in death. Evelyn and Helen moved to Chicago and were raised by their Aunt Josie after their parent's divorce. Evelyn graduated from Lindblom High School in Chicago in 1941. After graduation, she moved to Los Angeles with her Aunt.

Evelyn met the love of her life, Reese, while working at Douglas Aircraft in El Segundo. They were married in August 1943, eloping to Tonapah, Nevada. An amazing role model marriage was created. Evelyn & Reese had seven children that know their parents were something very special. It is our lifelong goal to emulate the teachings our parents instilled in us and to pass on the many lessons we have learned to our children and grandchildren.

Reese joined the Navy and Evelyn moved to Pueblo, CO to be near family while he was deployed. They established a home in Pueblo and resided there until they moved to Boulder, CO for Reese to finish engineering school. Following his graduation Evelyn & Reese returned to Pueblo where Reese worked for Colorado Fuel & Iron.

Launching their great Montana chapter, they moved to Livingston in 1953 for Reese to take a job at Downer Lumber Company. They loved Montana and made many lifelong friends there. They cultivated the land, fished the rivers and streams and continued to grow their family. Evelyn always said that the home in Livingston was the only one that broke her heart to leave.

After taking jobs in Spokane and Moses Lake, WA in the aerospace industry, Reese and Evelyn moved their family to Lompoc in 1962 for a job at Vandenberg and have never looked back except for a short stint in North Dakota in 1973. They were anxious to return to the Valley of the Flowers and resume their lives in the area they loved.

An avid gardener, volunteer, fisherwoman, letter writer, music lover, old western movie buff, homemaker and woman of faith, Evelyn was a bright light to everyone she knew. She was generous with her time and talents and was wonderful sister, wife, mother, grandmother and friend. Evelyn volunteered at the Red Cross Blood Bank for 23 years, much of the time preparing all the goodies for the donors herself. Her lemon bars and brownies were favorites. As a proud Breast Cancer Survivor, it was her way of giving back in the way she was able. She was a longtime member of the Alpha Literary and Improvement Club, serving a year as President and has been a loyal member of the First United Methodist Church throughout her adult life. Evelyn was a Rainbow Girl and Rotary Paul Harris Fellow. She loved taking road trips and even visited special friends in Sweden twice.

Evelyn is survived by a large, loving family that was a continuous source of great pride to her, including daughters Terry Westrope, Nancy Cramer (Rick), Debbie McDowell (Mike), sons Reese Lyn (Julie), Dean (Bonnie) and Brian. She was preceded in death by Reese and their oldest daughter, Charlene Cartwright Long. Always a loving grandmother, Evelyn had fifteen grandchildren, five step grandchildren, nine great grandchildren and two step great grandchildren. She has many 'adopted' children/grandchildren and many dear friends across America and Scandinavia.

A Celebration of Life will be held July 29th at 11:00 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 925 North F Street, Lompoc. Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society/Breast Cancer, Parkinson's Disease Research or the First United Methodist Church – Lompoc. "Always have a positive attitude, be kind, smile at people and above all, have faith in your God."