Ninth Generation (Continued)
Ninth Generation (Continued)
Family of Florence Marie Paulsen (255) & Ernest Thorne Thompson
397. Ernest Thorne “Tommy” Thompson (Florence Marie Paulsen8, Iver7, Poul Iversen Kirkegaard6, Iver Poulsen Kirkegaard5, Poul Iversen Kirkegaard4, Iver Christensen3, Christen2, Christen -sen1) 
. Born on 9 Nov 1928 in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, U.S.A. Ernest Thorne “Tommy” died in Damariscotta, Lincoln Co., Maine, U.S.A., on 25 Dec 2022; he was 94.
Tommy Thompson grew up in New Rochelle, New York. His parents had taught many years at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana but chose to relocate and to teach at the College of New Rochelle in New Rochelle, New York. They moved back East when Tommy was two years old to be near their families in Massachusetts. Tommy Thompson grew up spending his summers in Bristol, Maine where his parents had a summer home. His days were spent exploring the ancient woods, fields and pastures that were still being used to graze livestock and farmed for hay and gardens by neighbors. He spent many hours rowing his rowboat on their little pond where he kept a pair of Peking ducks. One summer, while he and his cousin were walking in the woods, he happened upon a baby snowshoe rabbit hiding under a leaf who became his beloved pet Thumper. Tommy and all his menagerie would travel from Bristol to New Rochelle on the train seasonally.
Tommy Thompson attended primary and high schools in New Rochelle, New York. He started his collegiate studies in 1948 enrolling in the Huguenot School of Art In New Rochelle, New York, earning his first art diploma to study as a Portrait painter with emphasis on illustration for a career in Commercial Art. He graduated in 1951.
Tommy Thompson is a veteran of foreign wars, having served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War, 1951-1954. Returning state-side, he continued his studies at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts where he studied silversmithing and metal work. Hey met his future wife Evelyn Mitchell in that class, who just happened to have an empty students silversmithing bench beside hers where Tommy set up his student workspace. At his bench Tommy quietly made a ring that was to become Evey’s engagement ring. Asking her to marry him, he placed it on her ring finger. They were married in June of 1956.
After graduating, Tommy Thompson worked at Patrick Gill Co. Woburn, Massachusetts as an Industrial Designer specializing in ecclesiastical production where he worked on commissioned pieces. In 1958, Tommy and Evey also established their first silversmithing business based out of their apartment in Boston, Massachusetts. Here they shared silversmithing responsibilities to complete commissioned pieces.
In the summer of 1960, while visiting his parents' summer home in Bristol, Maine, Tommy Thompson took a country ride after dropping his mother off at a beauty parlor in Damariscotta, and found his future home. He called Evey back in Massachusetts and said, “I found a place for your horse!” Soon after, they set about rebuilding their 1760s vintage house and barn. Evey’s beloved Morgan gelding Rob Roy took up residence in his new stall. Tommy continued to commute to Woburn, Massachusetts for work.
In 1962, the Museum of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Boston, approached Tommy to head the Jewelry and Silversmithing department and join their faculty as teacher. At that time the department lacked the required silversmithing tools of the trade for incoming students to learn with. To re-establish a working functional department, Tommy and his wife Evelyn took the summer to manufacture patterns for all the tools that Tommy’s students would be needing. After they had made the patterns for silversmithing stakes, heads, and hammers they had the sets cast at a foundry. Tommy requested that the graduating students from his department be given this basic set of tools so they could establish their own silversmithing studio.
Tommy continued to work at Patrick Gill Co. until 1966. During this time he set up his studio in Maine on weekends while commuting to M.F.A. in Boston to teach during the week. At his home studio his focus was on commissioned ecclesiastical pieces and reproduction holloware.
Tommy was contacted in 1970 to establish a jewelry and silversmithing department at the Portland School of Art in Portland, Maine (now known as Maine College of Art). Here he built silversmithing benches for his students, and kitted the department with a few of the basic tools from the original M.F.A. pattern set.
In 1972, Tommy retired from his Museum of Fine Arts teaching position, and continued to work at Portland School of Art until retiring from teaching in 1979. He could now work full time at his and Evey’s silversmithing business, Thompsons Studio, Inc. Tommy officially retired in 1993. He dissolved their business, closed the door, and went “Up Ta Camp”. Tommy and his beloved Evey enjoyed their retirement between their home in Damariscotta and their camp deep in the woods of Maine. They planted their vegetable and flower gardens to share with the beaver, moose, deer and Canadian geese. In retirement, Tommy returned his focus to painting, and enjoyed seasonally exhibiting his landscape watercolor and oil paintings at the Pemaquid Group of Artists at the Bristol Parks, Pemaquid, Maine. (Strong-Hancock Funeral Home, Damarisciotta, Maine)
. Born on 9 Nov 1928 in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, U.S.A. Ernest Thorne “Tommy” died in Damariscotta, Lincoln Co., Maine, U.S.A., on 25 Dec 2022; he was 94.Tommy Thompson grew up in New Rochelle, New York. His parents had taught many years at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana but chose to relocate and to teach at the College of New Rochelle in New Rochelle, New York. They moved back East when Tommy was two years old to be near their families in Massachusetts. Tommy Thompson grew up spending his summers in Bristol, Maine where his parents had a summer home. His days were spent exploring the ancient woods, fields and pastures that were still being used to graze livestock and farmed for hay and gardens by neighbors. He spent many hours rowing his rowboat on their little pond where he kept a pair of Peking ducks. One summer, while he and his cousin were walking in the woods, he happened upon a baby snowshoe rabbit hiding under a leaf who became his beloved pet Thumper. Tommy and all his menagerie would travel from Bristol to New Rochelle on the train seasonally.
Tommy Thompson attended primary and high schools in New Rochelle, New York. He started his collegiate studies in 1948 enrolling in the Huguenot School of Art In New Rochelle, New York, earning his first art diploma to study as a Portrait painter with emphasis on illustration for a career in Commercial Art. He graduated in 1951.
Tommy Thompson is a veteran of foreign wars, having served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War, 1951-1954. Returning state-side, he continued his studies at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts where he studied silversmithing and metal work. Hey met his future wife Evelyn Mitchell in that class, who just happened to have an empty students silversmithing bench beside hers where Tommy set up his student workspace. At his bench Tommy quietly made a ring that was to become Evey’s engagement ring. Asking her to marry him, he placed it on her ring finger. They were married in June of 1956.
After graduating, Tommy Thompson worked at Patrick Gill Co. Woburn, Massachusetts as an Industrial Designer specializing in ecclesiastical production where he worked on commissioned pieces. In 1958, Tommy and Evey also established their first silversmithing business based out of their apartment in Boston, Massachusetts. Here they shared silversmithing responsibilities to complete commissioned pieces.
In the summer of 1960, while visiting his parents' summer home in Bristol, Maine, Tommy Thompson took a country ride after dropping his mother off at a beauty parlor in Damariscotta, and found his future home. He called Evey back in Massachusetts and said, “I found a place for your horse!” Soon after, they set about rebuilding their 1760s vintage house and barn. Evey’s beloved Morgan gelding Rob Roy took up residence in his new stall. Tommy continued to commute to Woburn, Massachusetts for work.
In 1962, the Museum of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Boston, approached Tommy to head the Jewelry and Silversmithing department and join their faculty as teacher. At that time the department lacked the required silversmithing tools of the trade for incoming students to learn with. To re-establish a working functional department, Tommy and his wife Evelyn took the summer to manufacture patterns for all the tools that Tommy’s students would be needing. After they had made the patterns for silversmithing stakes, heads, and hammers they had the sets cast at a foundry. Tommy requested that the graduating students from his department be given this basic set of tools so they could establish their own silversmithing studio.
Tommy continued to work at Patrick Gill Co. until 1966. During this time he set up his studio in Maine on weekends while commuting to M.F.A. in Boston to teach during the week. At his home studio his focus was on commissioned ecclesiastical pieces and reproduction holloware.
Tommy was contacted in 1970 to establish a jewelry and silversmithing department at the Portland School of Art in Portland, Maine (now known as Maine College of Art). Here he built silversmithing benches for his students, and kitted the department with a few of the basic tools from the original M.F.A. pattern set.
In 1972, Tommy retired from his Museum of Fine Arts teaching position, and continued to work at Portland School of Art until retiring from teaching in 1979. He could now work full time at his and Evey’s silversmithing business, Thompsons Studio, Inc. Tommy officially retired in 1993. He dissolved their business, closed the door, and went “Up Ta Camp”. Tommy and his beloved Evey enjoyed their retirement between their home in Damariscotta and their camp deep in the woods of Maine. They planted their vegetable and flower gardens to share with the beaver, moose, deer and Canadian geese. In retirement, Tommy returned his focus to painting, and enjoyed seasonally exhibiting his landscape watercolor and oil paintings at the Pemaquid Group of Artists at the Bristol Parks, Pemaquid, Maine. (Strong-Hancock Funeral Home, Damarisciotta, Maine)
On 16 Jun 1956 Ernest Thorne “Tommy” married Evelyn Dorothea Mitchell in North Andover, Essex Co., Massachusetts, U.S.A. Born on 12 Apr 1930 in North Andover, Essex Co., Massachusetts, U.S.A. Evelyn Dorothea died in Damariscotta, Lincoln Co., Maine, U.S.A., on 25 Apr 2015; she was 85.
in North Andover, Essex Co., Massachusetts, U.S.A. Born on 12 Apr 1930 in North Andover, Essex Co., Massachusetts, U.S.A. Evelyn Dorothea died in Damariscotta, Lincoln Co., Maine, U.S.A., on 25 Apr 2015; she was 85.They had one child: