Dorothy 'Ruth' Thompson, 95

orothy “Ruth” Thompson passed away on Feb. 9, 2014, in Sandpoint, Idaho.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, Feb. 17 at 11 a.m. in the Free Methodist Church in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, with private interment in the Paradise Valley Cemetery, near Bonners Ferry.

She was born in Sandpoint to Ernest and Blanche Schevenius. Her Dad was very fundamental in many of the beginnings in Sandpoint up to the time of his death. Their farm was where Wood’s sand and gravel is now, just off of Selle road.

She graduated from Sandpoint High School and went on to bible school. From bible school she went into ninistry. With her soon to be sister-in-law June Tibbetts, they held Sunday school, daily vacation bible school and bible studies at the Naples church with the families that were involved with the CCC camps that were in the area at that time and neighboring families. She also did that work at the Paradise Valley Church.

She soon married Elvin B. Sperling whom she met at bible school and they had one daughter (Bonnie) Yvonne. They continued doing ministry work at Naples and Paradise Valley churches and communities. They later left and did some ministering in other parts of Idaho, Montana and Oregon.

In 1945-46 Dorothy Ruth moved to Nemo, S.D. where she not only worked in the church but also look up her teaching career.

It was a two-room school house. Grades one through four were on the main floor where her daughter attended second grade and upstairs she taught grades five-eight. That was some good old fashion living up in the mountains of the Black Hills of South Dakota.

In the following years life brought many changes. In 1948 New Year’s Eve she married Carl (Tom) Thompson. She had three more children, Tom, Tami and Ted.

She did many different things to supplement the income of her husband while he was in the Coast Guard. Military life caused many moves but she settled into a teaching career that she truly loved.

During some of those years of teaching she was also going to college to get her teaching degree and later a master’s degree. She ended that career as a principal at Hope Elementary School and also Northside Elementary In Kootenai, Idaho.

She kept very busy with the things she enjoyed most and those included traveling and moving from place to place. For several years she lived with her much loved niece and husband as they raised their family of four teenagers.

Then she moved to Coeur d’Alene for a short time with friends before she ended up living in Bonners Ferry at the Free Methodist Church parsonage. The rest of her spare time was spent sewing, quilting, cross stitch, embroidering, cross word puzzles, playing games. She did these when she wasn’t busy cooking, and baking.

She loved planning holiday meals and entertaining. She left boxes and books of recipes behind. She loved planning programs at the church and helping where she could but I think one of her specialties was having secrets and surprising people. She was able to live at home until just before her 94th birthday when she had a stroke that completely changed her life. She then moved to Valley Vista Care Center where she was much loved and cared for.

She was preceded in death by her mother and father Blanche and Ernest Schevenius, Brother Kenny Schevenius, brother Merle Schevenius, one Son, Thomas (Tom) Thompson, one grandson Sean Huff.

She is survived by daughters Bonnie Carlson and Tami McReynoIds; son, Ted Thompson, daughter-in-law Dianna Thompson; and numerous grandchildren; great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren.

Her life ended peacefully when the Lord sent His angels down to scoop her up and take her to final home.

Family and friends are invited to sign Dorothy’s book at www.bonnersferryfuneralhome.com Arrangements are entrusted to the care of Bonners Ferry Funeral Home.