GEORGE R THOMPSON

Taken from Elgin Courier-News, Monday, 3 Jan 1938, p.1, cols 5-7. Picture included in article.

George R. THOMPSON, Police Court Magistrate For Many Years, Dies at 87.

George R. THOMPSON, 87 years old, magistrate of Elgin's police court for many years, president of the Fox Valley Old Settlers' Assn and active in fraternal and veterans' organization circles, died New Year's day afternoon at 5 in Sherman hospital.  He had been ill for only a few days with a heart ailment.

The funeral service will be conducted tomorrow afternoon at 2 from House of Hope Presbyterian Church, with the Rev. John F. Vonckx, pastor and Monitor lodge 522, A.F. & A. M., officiating.  A private service will be held at 1:30 from the Norris mortuary, where friends may call.  Burial will be in Bluff City Cemetery.

Active pallbearers will be Atty. Charles G. SEIDEL, County Clerk Charles
LOWRY, Police Lt. Frank. J. RAMSEY, Ernest KAHLE, Charles E. FAIRCHILD and former Mayor Earle R. KELLEY.

Mr. THOMPSON was born in Butlerville, O., on Feb. 24, 1850, and had resided in Elgin since 1890.

Educated in the public schools of Warren County, Ohio and at South Western Normal School, Lebanon, O., Mr. THOMPSON took up railroading as a young man, and was employed in the service of steam lines for several years.  Then he entered the electrical trade, and 48 years ago came to Elgin and entered the employ of the Elgin city street railways as an electrician and maintenance foreman.

In 1901 he was elected a justice of the peace, an office he had held
continuously for 37 years.  Of more recent years he had been elected police magistrate of Elgin, a position from which he was finally retired on May 1, 1935.

During his many years as a justice and police magistrate, "Judge" THOMPSON, as he was widely known, won the admiration of lawyers and laymen alike for his common sense understanding of the law.

The magistrate had presided as arbiter in countless family quarrels,
neighborhood differences, and had helped many a down and outer to his feet.

One of Elgin's first foes of speeding and reckless driving in automobiles, Magistrate THOMPSON often accompanied stiff traffic fines with a lecture to the defendant upon the need for sanity back of the wheel.  He also was one of the first to install a "traffic school" in his court, and many times put uncomfortable speeders through a series of tests to determine if they were acquainted with accepted standards of safe driving.

Many couples had received their marital blessings from the court, the
magistrate having presided at hundreds of weddings during his many years of public service.

During his last term as police magistrate, Mr. THOMPSON was the central
figure in a notable civil court action testing his right to the office; and opinion being cited to show that the office did not legally exist because Elgin was a city located partially in one county and partially in another.  (Kane & Cook) Subsequently the city quit paying the salary for the office, and two and one-half years ago it was abolished insofar as city cases were concerned.

Suits and counter suits were filed, and finally the matter was adjusted, the magistrate receiving his salary from the time the city quit paying in Oct. 16, 1932 to May 1, 1935 less the 2 percent reduction in pay given all city employees during that period.

Mr. THOMPSON was a member of the Presbyterian Church, Monitor Lodge of
Masons, Loyal L. Munn Chater No 96, Cryptic Council No.?? R. & S. M. the
Sword of Bunker Hill, Elgin Lodge 737, B.P.O. Elks Elgin Lodge 799, L.O.O.M., Sons of Union Veterans camp No. 22; an honorary member of the United Spanish War Veterans; and adjutant and quartermaster of the Veterans post 49, G.A.R. He was, however, not a Grand Army veteran simply accepting the office to be of service to his old friends.

Just last summer he was elected president of the Fox Valley Old Settlers' Assn. a group in which he was much interested.

He had also been a member and director of the Elgin Motor Club for a number of years.

Besides the widow, Mrs. Jean THOMPSON, who is a past national president of the Auxiliary to Sons of Union Veterans.  Magistrate THOMPSON is survived by three children, Mrs. Nellie KRIEGER, Mrs. F. A. CONYNE and Harry C. THOMPSON all of this city; two sisters Miss Alice THOMPSON of Morrow, Ohio and Mrs. Florence HALL of Lexington, Ky; six grandchildren: Mrs. F.E.JAYNE of Algonquin, Mrs. John HOFFMAN of Maywood, an? Emerson G. KRIEGER, Mrs. Frank KESNER, Miss Alice KREIGER and Jack T. CONYNE, all of this city.  There are also six great-grandchildren.

Of late months Mr. THOMPSON had made his home at 46 Hendee St.


Note from submitter: George Thompson's first wife pre-deceased him.  She was the mother of his children.  She was Matilda STOUGHTON, dau of Eli & Emeline SCOFIELD STOUGHTON who was b. 26 Jan 1850 in Cincinnati, OH and d. 9 April 1922 and is also buried at Bluff City Cemetery in Elgin, IL.  They were married 8 Mar 1875.

Transcribed and submitted by: Patricia Graman on 29 Jun 2002 who can be reached at pmhrg@aol.com and would welcome contact regarding this family.

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