Kenneth D. Thompson of New Raymer passed away quietly in his sleep on Saturday morning, November 24, 2018. Kenneth was born March 5, 1925 on the family farm/ranch near Grover, Colorado to Walter and Ruth Thompson. Kenneth was the third child with an older sister Esther and older brother Hank.

Kenneth spent his youth helping out at the ranch and attended school at Grover. He lettered in football, basketball, and track. He received a GED from Grover High school in 1946 when he returned home from the war.

Kenneth left school early to join the war effort, he enlisted in the Navy on February 25, 1943 serving on the Destroyer USS Thompson DD627. His ship escorted convoys to North Africa, the Mediterranean Sea and England. Kenneth and crew participated in the Normandy invasion and the Southern France invasion. Kenneth was transferred to a sea going tug ATR 89 after his old ship was converted to a mine sweeper. Kenneth spent the rest of his service at Guantanamo Bay Cuba. He was awarded two Bronze Stars and the WWII Victory Ribbon.

Kenneth returned back to Grover after the war, tried farming, but a hail storm changed his mind. He married Betty Alice Hauer in Cheyenne on November 29, 1947. Together they owned a service station in Hereford, Colorado and sold it to purchase a pool hall at New Raymer, Colorado in 1948. They ran Thompson Tavern until the fall of 1951 and then leased out the business. They then moved to Cheyenne where Kenneth went to work for the Union Pacific Railroad working on steam engines. They moved back to New Raymer after the birth of their son Bob in July 1952. Their daughter Trina was born August of 1955.

Kenneth closed the pool hall October 1957 to become Postmaster for the New Raymer Post Office. Kenneth and Betty both retired from the postal service June 1989 to restore their home in New Raymer and collect antiques and cars. Betty passed away December 2015 and their property and car collection of over 40 cars were sold to put Kenneth in a nursing home.

Kenneth was known to enjoy building things and had outfitted his home and workshop with many of his own creations. He was an artisan that created stained glass masterpieces and who wrote creative poetry. He would often craft things from wood, and he enjoyed restoring old cars. His sense of humor was witty, and he could always be relied on for a laugh. He loved animals, and could often be found on the couch in the evenings with his cat snuggled up in his lap. He was energetic, loving man who filled his loved ones lives with wonder in all the fun things he would come up with.

A funeral service will be held at First Church of the Nazarene, 2515 west 16th Street, Greeley, Colorado Friday, December 7th at 1:00pm with interment to follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Greeley. Kenneth leaves behind 5 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren with a great grandson on the way.

Tax deductible donations can be made in lieu of flowers to:
Friends of Raymer
25265 County Road T5
Brush, CO 80723

On line donations can be made at www.friendsofraymer.com