The New Era - All about Sweet Home since 1929

Edith Loraine (Courtright) Thompson, 93, of Sweet Home, died March 29, 2023, at Samaritan Albany General Hospital.

She was born in Oregon on Feb. 2, 1930, to Mabel Amelia (Gordon) and Guy Courtright.

was the youngest of her siblings: Floyd Courtright, Earl Courtright and Wanda Courtright.

Mrs. Thompson was married five times. Her first marriage was to Harvey Walters, with whom she had her three sons, John Walters, Paul Walters and Steven Walters.

Later, she married Roy Falk, then Robert Baker, with whom she had two daughters, Judi Baker and Peggi Baker.

She married again, to Kenneth Nygarrd.

Finally, she met Richard Philip Thompson, known as "Papa," whom she married in 1985 in Houston, Texas.

Mrs. Thompson said he was the love of her life. The Thompsons moved to Oregon and bought a house together, where their children, grandchildren and everyone else in the family would gather for holidays, barbecues, weekends and more for years to come. 

Mrs. Thompson hunted, worked, cooked, loved, traveled, learned and experienced many great things, and touched so many peoples lives along the way. 

The Thompsons loved working on their home together and their pristine yard was one to envy. Mrs. Thompson would pick out the flowers she wanted to be planted and Mr. Thompson would get to work. They were a team through and through.

She was an excellent cook and loved to dote on her husband and family. She was always in the kitchen, doing something.

She and Papa would ride their bikes down River Road in the summer to the blackberry bushes by the river and fill up as many five-gallon buckets they could so she could make jam and jelly and give them out to all the family members to enjoy. 

Besides gardening and working on their home together, they loved to go camping or "glamping" in their trailer with the entire family at the Oregon Coast. Many weekends were spent at the Oregon dunes, where they rode quads and buggies and roasted hot dogs over the open fire, played games, and made memories.

After Mr. Thompson's death in 1998, her final years were spent in Sweet Home with her daughter Peggi, and then at Timberwood Court Memory Care. 

Mrs. Thompson is survived by her children, Paul Walters, Steve Walters and Judi Baker; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard; and her daughter Peggi, earlier this year.

A celebration of life for both Mrs. Thompson and Peggi will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 27, at Leaburg Hatchery.

Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling the arrangements.