Kenneth R. Thompson

Kenneth Ray Thompson, age 78 of Marshalltown and formerly of Laurel, Iowa, passed away on the morning of October 31, 2025 at the Iowa River Hospice Home in Marshalltown.

Memorial services for Kenneth will be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2025 beginning at 10:30 A.M. at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home in Marshalltown. A visitation for family and friends will be held on Monday, November 3, 2025 from 5:00 until 7:00 P.M. at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home in Marshalltown. Memorials in Kenneth’s name may be directed to the Marshalltown Combined VFW/American Legion Honor Guard. For additional information or to send a condolence to the family please visit www.mitchellfh.com or call 641-844-1234.

Kenneth was born September 23, 1947 in Grinnell, Iowa. He was the second born of four children to George and Margaret (Truman) Thompson. Kenneth was raised in Montezuma, Iowa where he also attended school. He was drafted into the United States Army during the Vietnam War and was honorably discharged from service. Upon his return from the Army, Kenneth finished up school and received his GED.

Kenneth had two sons, Jeff and Erik. He lived in Laurel and worked for Maytag in Newton, Iowa. On May 11, 1991, he was united in marriage to Beverly Hedrick (Miller) at the Grinnell Chrisitan Church. From their union, he gained a daughter, Delany and a son, Chad. He continued to work for Maytag as part of their quality control team until the time of his retirement when the plant shut its doors.

Kenneth remained active in his free time. He was a member of the Marshalltown American Legion Post 46, a leader for many years of the Gold Wing Club and additionally spent many hours volunteering at the Iowa Veterans Home sharing his love of woodworking with the local veterans in the woodshop. Woodworking was a major passion he had and he would often make wooden toy tractors and trucks which he would donate to the Salvation Army and the local churches for kids to have. Additionally, he enjoyed fishing and taking trips all over the country with Beverly.

Those left to remember and cherish his memory are his wife of 34 years, Beverly Thompson; his children, Jeff (Sarah) Thompson, Erik Thompson, Delany (Randy Korell) Hedrick and Chad Hedrick; grandchildren, Amber Thompson, Amanda Adams, Tommy Turner, Justin Thompson, Alex Korell, Bodie Korrel, Brook Hedrick, Brady Hedrick, Baylee Hedrick, Brenden Hedrick, Bryce Hedrick and Blake Hedrick; one great-granddaughter; brothers, Delbert (Val) Thompson and Bill Thompson; brothers and sisters-in-law, Carl Duane (Mary Alice) Miller and Bob (Deb) Miller; alongside numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Margaret Thompson; his sister, Louann Heinle; and his mother-in-law, Peggy Miller-Jordebrek.