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Idell Lee Thompson of rural Newtown, MO died on Monday, July 15, 2024, at Meyer Care

Center of Higgingsville, MO.

Idell was born March 4, 1930, to John David & Hazel Izora (Smith) Sandford in the

northwest corner bedroom of the Newtown Hotel. A sister, Mary Sue, was born three (3)

years later. Idell attended Fillmore School north of Newtown for grades 1-8 and then

Newtown High School until she graduated in 1947. She worked on the family farm for one

year and then attended Northeast Missouri State Teacher™s College for two years from

1948-1950 until she had earned sixty plus hours which enabled her to apply for a teaching

job. In the fall of 1950 Idell took a job at Fairview School, northeast of Lucerne, MO for one year and then transferred to the school at Harris, MO where she taught for three years.

Later serving as a substitute teacher for the school in Newtown.

The love of her life, Earl June Thompson, entered her life in the fall of 1949 when he

arrived at the Sandford home and asked for a date. Idell turned him down as she already

had a date for the weekend! Eventually she did agree and their first date was around New

Year™s Eve 1949 where they went to a movie and then dancing at the roadhouse in Trenton,

MO. Idell took a job at Hallmark in Kansas City during the summer of 1951 and June would ride the train to his Aunt Louisa™s home in KC so he could spend time with Idell.

June proposed in the spring of 1951, and they were married on August 18, 1951, in Kansas

City with her sister, Mary Sue, and June™s brother, Gerald, as the only family attending. The

couple planned to honeymoon in Nashville, Tennessee, but traveled as far as Mountain

Grove, MO when Idell realized they did not have a place to live when they returned to

Newtown.

Idell & June rented three (3) rooms in a house west of the Baptist church at Newtown until

the spring of 1952 when they moved to a farm west of town. The couple bought the “Brud”

Holt farm west of Newtown in 1958.

Idell returned to teaching in the fall of 1964 and took evening classes at Northeast Missouri

State Teacher™s College in Kirksville until she obtained her degree in Elementary Education.

She taught a 4th /5th /6th grade classroom at Ravanna, MO from 1964-1967 and then took a 4th grade teaching position at Princeton, MO from 1967-1969. In the fall of 1969 Idell began her 23 years of teaching at the Newtown-Harris School where she taught 5th /6th grades, then kindergarten, and later became the school™s librarian. Idell retired from full-time teaching in 1991 but did continue to substitute for several years.

Following her retirement the couple wintered in Florida at various locations for several

years and finally purchased a home in The Villages in Lady Lake, Florida. They always

planned to return to MO in time for spring turkey season.

Idell was well known for her tatting and crochet abilities as well as her “crafting.” Following her retirement from teaching she shared her talents by traveling to numerous craft shows throughout the state and setting up her booth of Thompson™s Funky Junque! She was also an avid reader, sometimes having three or more books in progress at the same time.

In 2015 Idell moved to Higginsville, MO, and later moved into Meyer Care Center of John

Knox Village of Higginsville.

Idell supported her girls in many endeavors as 4-H leader, Advisor for The Order of

Rainbow for Girls, Sunday School Teacher, Vacation Bible School Director, baker of

thousands of doughnuts for bake sales, and volunteer for many other activities. She

attended hundreds of her grandchildren™s basketball, football, softball, and volleyball games

and one wrestling meet.

She was a charter member of the Lucerne American Legion Auxiliary Post 249 serving as

President and then as 2 nd District President for two years. She was a Past Matron of

Medicine Chapter #140 Order of the Eastern Star and a member of the Lucerne Methodist

Church. Idell was a past member of the Missouri State Teachers™ Association and a current

member of the Missouri Retired Teachers™ Association.

Idell is survived by daughters, Shani Kinney of Trenton, MO; Sharon Thompson of Alma,

MO; and Shelly Fauss and her husband, Ron of Corder, MO. Five Grandchildren: Katie

Kinney of Trenton, MO; Kenton (Alicia) Kinney of Kearney, MO; Kade Kinney of Kirksville, MO; Samuel (Britney) Fauss of Odessa, MO; and Alexandria Fauss of Orlando, FL. One great-granddaughter: Kaisley June Kinney of Kearney, MO; one brother-in-law: Finis Brundage of Princeton, MO; and numerous nieces & nephews, great nieces & nephews, and great-great nieces & nephews.

Idell was preceded in death by her husband, Earl June; an infant son, Robert David; son-in-

law, Frank Kinney; sister, Mary Sue Brundage; and her parents.

Graveside services will be held on Saturday, July 27, 2024, 9:00 a.m. at the Newtown

Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Lafayette County Cancer Coalition or the Mercer

County Library in care of Slater Neal Funeral Home of Trenton, MO.