Obituary – Myrtle Frances Thompson
Myrtle Frances (Lewis) Thompson, age 90, passed over to be with our Lord and savior January 26, 2026, at her daughter’s loving home in Licking, Missouri. Daughter of Johnnie Lewis and Mildred and Vesta (Poe) Lewis, she was born on January 18, 1936, at their home in Hazelton Springs, Missouri. Upon Mildred’s death when Frances was two, Mildred’s sister Vesta married Johnnie and provided a loving Christian mother for the remainder of Frances’ early years.
Frances is preceded in death by husband Harold Thompson, her parents; daughter Vicky McElyea, grandson Donald Wayne McElyea, four brothers, Edgar, Arthur, Eugene and Arnold, and one sister, Shirley.
She is survived by a lot of people who loved her dearly. Two sons Harold A Junior and Sean, both of Licking, Mo., and two daughters, Robin Glenn, of Licking, Mo., and Johonna Kiser, of Crestwood, Mo. Included in this loving group are five adoring spouses to her children, Sue Thompson, Donald McElyea, Thomas Glenn, Duane Kiser and Renee Thompson. Of this group, an impressive gathering of eleven grandchildren, seventeen great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. Also, included in this pool of love are seventeen nephews and nieces and an additional pack of grand nephews and nieces. That is a lot of love she left in her grand wake.
Frances graduated from Licking High in early May 1953.
Frances met her husband-to-be at a family function in her teens. While attending Licking High, a long distance two-year courtship with letters and photos ensued with her future husband Harold, who was in the Korean War at the time as a gunner. Upon Harold’s return, Frances quickly resumed an in-person love affair and married on May 15, 1953, after his return, just after graduation.
Frances and Harold began life with a small farm and then moved to St. Louis where Harold became a truck driver. After many years of hard work and large family building, they were able to parley a job layoff into a new trucking company they formed based on Harold’s work ethic and genial personality. Upon retiring they moved all they owned back to Frances’s birthlands in Licking, where they both lived out the balance of their lives.
As a community-driven couple, Frances and Harold participated with American Legion 559—where Harold was the Commander and Frances assisted in all things co-commander hostesses do. Harold also was the VFW Chaplain at Post 6337 and Frances served as a hostess there too, with the Ladies VFW Auxiliary.
In their retirement years Frances and Harold hosted all their grandchildren for weeklong visits with games, fun, food and trips to the skating rink. They built, owned and operated the only skating rink in Licking and for miles around. I believe these visits were warm memories for all their grandchildren to carry with them for the rest of their lives. The Rockin’ Rollin skating rink, three miles outside of Licking during the ‘90s was a haven for kids, preteens and teens, and built a community of fun-loving children with a healthy place to be young. For years after its closing, a generation of mature adults still approached and sent best wishes to Harold and Fran and their partner and daughter Robin Glenn. A true sense of family pride to move a generation of young people into adulthood.
Along with grandchildren they often hosted large family reunions with copious amounts of food and fun. This special time built a loving base that carried into Frances’s old age to nurture her with love and respect given freely for her kind and generous personality. The on-going humor in our family is the insistent way Frances tried to get her family to eat while visiting her. It was relentless! LOL
In Frances’s waning years she suffered from the onset of dementia and struggled to remember her dearest family and friends. Through it all she never forgot the one name that meant the most to her. Jesus. When asked through all her memory loss her one consistent response to who is Jesus, was “My Lord and Savior.” Our family is certain of one thing in this world, our mother, Myrtle Frances Thompson, is currently in heaven, scar-free with the great love of her life. We will miss her dearly and look forward to the time we meet again in heaven.
A visitation for Frances will take place Friday, February 6, 2026, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Fox Funeral Home. A funeral service will take place Saturday, February 7, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Fox Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Craddock Cemetery. Online condolences may be left at www.foxfh.net. Arrangements are entrusted to Fox Funeral Home.
