Willie Robert "W.R." Thompson
Willie Robert Thompson was born November 5, 1865, in Cheney's Grove, McLean County, Illinois, the second son and youngest of four children of John and Mary (Simmons) Thompson. Mary died, leaving John with 4 young children.
According to the 1870 Census, Cheney's Grove, Illinois, John and his 4 children were living in his mother's household, as well as a Domestic named Sarah Brewer, aged 19. In September, 1870, John took Sarah as his wife.The family moved to Kansas before John and Sarah's first child was born in 1872. John's second family had 5 boys and 2 girls.
Willie Thompson was raised and educated in Elk County, Kansas. According to the book, Elk County History, "Willie Robert Thompson (1865-1927) left Elk County before 1900 for Colorado and Wyoming." He met Minnie (Peterson) Wells when, as a cattle drover, he rode into the camp in the Rattlesnake Mountain area of Wyoming where she was a ranch cook. Minnie's daughter, Vera, later described Willie as having red hair and a mustache.
After Willie and Minnie married, in Nov. 1907, they located in the Pine Ridge area north of Moorcroft where they homesteaded in Township 51 North, Range 67 West. Minnie's sister, Julia and her husband, Hugh McLennan's homestead was West of and adjacent to the Thompsons'.
In the 20 years Willie was on the ranch, the original 320 Acres grew to just under 1440 Acres with the acquisition of Desert Land, Stock Raising /Homesteading Lands and the purchases of the Harry A. Stanger Homestead and the Porter Virtue Homestead,( which he purchased from Newell Garman). Willie was a stock grower and an industrious worker devoted to his family. Many of the outbuildings of the original homestead still stand today more than a hundred years later.
Willie continued to ranch, with help from his young son, neighbors and hired help, even though his health was failing. There are several brief accounts in the Moorcroft newspapers from 1919 on, about trips to see the doctor. One trip in 1920 was to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. When he, along with Minnie and Vera returned to Moorcroft it was stated his health was not improved.
Willie Robert Thompson died at home (in the Heath house) in Moorcroft in 1927. Survivors were his wife, Minnie, their five children...Mary, John, Rachel, Leah and Jessie, and Minnie's daughter Vera.
This info was presented to the Museum in Moorcroft, Wyoming by Thompson descendants in tribute to Willie and Minnie Thompson on September 27, 2013
Willie Robert Thompson was born November 5, 1865, in Cheney's Grove, McLean County, Illinois, the second son and youngest of four children of John and Mary (Simmons) Thompson. Mary died, leaving John with 4 young children.
According to the 1870 Census, Cheney's Grove, Illinois, John and his 4 children were living in his mother's household, as well as a Domestic named Sarah Brewer, aged 19. In September, 1870, John took Sarah as his wife.The family moved to Kansas before John and Sarah's first child was born in 1872. John's second family had 5 boys and 2 girls.
Willie Thompson was raised and educated in Elk County, Kansas. According to the book, Elk County History, "Willie Robert Thompson (1865-1927) left Elk County before 1900 for Colorado and Wyoming." He met Minnie (Peterson) Wells when, as a cattle drover, he rode into the camp in the Rattlesnake Mountain area of Wyoming where she was a ranch cook. Minnie's daughter, Vera, later described Willie as having red hair and a mustache.
After Willie and Minnie married, in Nov. 1907, they located in the Pine Ridge area north of Moorcroft where they homesteaded in Township 51 North, Range 67 West. Minnie's sister, Julia and her husband, Hugh McLennan's homestead was West of and adjacent to the Thompsons'.
In the 20 years Willie was on the ranch, the original 320 Acres grew to just under 1440 Acres with the acquisition of Desert Land, Stock Raising /Homesteading Lands and the purchases of the Harry A. Stanger Homestead and the Porter Virtue Homestead,( which he purchased from Newell Garman). Willie was a stock grower and an industrious worker devoted to his family. Many of the outbuildings of the original homestead still stand today more than a hundred years later.
Willie continued to ranch, with help from his young son, neighbors and hired help, even though his health was failing. There are several brief accounts in the Moorcroft newspapers from 1919 on, about trips to see the doctor. One trip in 1920 was to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. When he, along with Minnie and Vera returned to Moorcroft it was stated his health was not improved.
Willie Robert Thompson died at home (in the Heath house) in Moorcroft in 1927. Survivors were his wife, Minnie, their five children...Mary, John, Rachel, Leah and Jessie, and Minnie's daughter Vera.
This info was presented to the Museum in Moorcroft, Wyoming by Thompson descendants in tribute to Willie and Minnie Thompson on September 27, 2013
Willie Robert "W.R." Thompson
Willie Robert Thompson was born November 5, 1865, in Cheney's Grove, McLean County, Illinois, the second son and youngest of four children of John and Mary (Simmons) Thompson. Mary died, leaving John with 4 young children.
According to the 1870 Census, Cheney's Grove, Illinois, John and his 4 children were living in his mother's household, as well as a Domestic named Sarah Brewer, aged 19. In September, 1870, John took Sarah as his wife.The family moved to Kansas before John and Sarah's first child was born in 1872. John's second family had 5 boys and 2 girls.
Willie Thompson was raised and educated in Elk County, Kansas. According to the book, Elk County History, "Willie Robert Thompson (1865-1927) left Elk County before 1900 for Colorado and Wyoming." He met Minnie (Peterson) Wells when, as a cattle drover, he rode into the camp in the Rattlesnake Mountain area of Wyoming where she was a ranch cook. Minnie's daughter, Vera, later described Willie as having red hair and a mustache.
After Willie and Minnie married, in Nov. 1907, they located in the Pine Ridge area north of Moorcroft where they homesteaded in Township 51 North, Range 67 West. Minnie's sister, Julia and her husband, Hugh McLennan's homestead was West of and adjacent to the Thompsons'.
In the 20 years Willie was on the ranch, the original 320 Acres grew to just under 1440 Acres with the acquisition of Desert Land, Stock Raising /Homesteading Lands and the purchases of the Harry A. Stanger Homestead and the Porter Virtue Homestead,( which he purchased from Newell Garman). Willie was a stock grower and an industrious worker devoted to his family. Many of the outbuildings of the original homestead still stand today more than a hundred years later.
Willie continued to ranch, with help from his young son, neighbors and hired help, even though his health was failing. There are several brief accounts in the Moorcroft newspapers from 1919 on, about trips to see the doctor. One trip in 1920 was to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. When he, along with Minnie and Vera returned to Moorcroft it was stated his health was not improved.
Willie Robert Thompson died at home (in the Heath house) in Moorcroft in 1927. Survivors were his wife, Minnie, their five children...Mary, John, Rachel, Leah and Jessie, and Minnie's daughter Vera.
This info was presented to the Museum in Moorcroft, Wyoming by Thompson descendants in tribute to Willie and Minnie Thompson on September 27, 2013
Willie Robert Thompson was born November 5, 1865, in Cheney's Grove, McLean County, Illinois, the second son and youngest of four children of John and Mary (Simmons) Thompson. Mary died, leaving John with 4 young children.
According to the 1870 Census, Cheney's Grove, Illinois, John and his 4 children were living in his mother's household, as well as a Domestic named Sarah Brewer, aged 19. In September, 1870, John took Sarah as his wife.The family moved to Kansas before John and Sarah's first child was born in 1872. John's second family had 5 boys and 2 girls.
Willie Thompson was raised and educated in Elk County, Kansas. According to the book, Elk County History, "Willie Robert Thompson (1865-1927) left Elk County before 1900 for Colorado and Wyoming." He met Minnie (Peterson) Wells when, as a cattle drover, he rode into the camp in the Rattlesnake Mountain area of Wyoming where she was a ranch cook. Minnie's daughter, Vera, later described Willie as having red hair and a mustache.
After Willie and Minnie married, in Nov. 1907, they located in the Pine Ridge area north of Moorcroft where they homesteaded in Township 51 North, Range 67 West. Minnie's sister, Julia and her husband, Hugh McLennan's homestead was West of and adjacent to the Thompsons'.
In the 20 years Willie was on the ranch, the original 320 Acres grew to just under 1440 Acres with the acquisition of Desert Land, Stock Raising /Homesteading Lands and the purchases of the Harry A. Stanger Homestead and the Porter Virtue Homestead,( which he purchased from Newell Garman). Willie was a stock grower and an industrious worker devoted to his family. Many of the outbuildings of the original homestead still stand today more than a hundred years later.
Willie continued to ranch, with help from his young son, neighbors and hired help, even though his health was failing. There are several brief accounts in the Moorcroft newspapers from 1919 on, about trips to see the doctor. One trip in 1920 was to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. When he, along with Minnie and Vera returned to Moorcroft it was stated his health was not improved.
Willie Robert Thompson died at home (in the Heath house) in Moorcroft in 1927. Survivors were his wife, Minnie, their five children...Mary, John, Rachel, Leah and Jessie, and Minnie's daughter Vera.
This info was presented to the Museum in Moorcroft, Wyoming by Thompson descendants in tribute to Willie and Minnie Thompson on September 27, 2013
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