A glimpse inside the life of Sam and Camilla (Nally) Thompson

Thanks to the Evansville newspaper, I finally found the obituaries for both Sam Thompson and his wife, Camilla (Nally) Thompson. Also, an even newer development - thanks to a cousin, I now have a photograph of Sam and Camilla! It's such a tiny photograph. I hope with time someone is able to send me a bigger, better copy of it.

Prior to receiving this photograph from a descendant of Sam and Camilla's - the only photograph I had of Camilla was the one with her twin sister, Janella.

Samuel "Sam" Thompson was the brother of my Great-Great Grandfather, John Rowan Thompson. Camilla was the twin sister of my Great-Great Grandmother, Mary Janella (Nally) Thompson. Yes, brothers married twin sisters. Not only that - but the Thompson boys were second cousins of the Nally women. Elizabeth Levina (Nally) Thompson (mother of the boys) and Henry Oliver Nally (father of the twins) were first cousins. 

Sam and Camilla married roughly in 1903 (clue being the 1910 census giving their years of marriage as '7'.) They had six children together - five boys and a girl. Their children --

Sidney T. Thompson (T. probably standing for Thomas) 1905-1960
* Sidney without a doubt was named for his Uncle, Sidney Thomas Thompson. Sidney married Edith Elouise Sutton and they're buried in Fernwood Cemetery.

Philip Ray Thompson 1908-1975
* Philip married Amy Imogene Sutton. They're buried in Fairmont Cemetery.

Thornton David Thompson 1912-1933
* Thornton died rather young. He died of diabetes mellitus which does in fact run in the family. Contributory cause was cachexia which is like wasting syndrome. He's buried in the Gibson Cemetery. 

Otis Benton Thompson 1914-1981
* Otis married Mary Katherine West and they're buried in the Gibson Cemetery.

Christine Thompson 1919-1995
* Christine married Dale Edward Palm and they only had one child, Dennis Wayne. The three of them are buried in the Gibson Cemetery.

Morris William Thompson 1922-2010
* Morris married Erma Mae Egli. He was the last of Sam and Camilla's children to pass away. My Grandma visited with him a few times while he was in a nursing home in Evansville. Morris had a love for the family tree. He and his wife, Erma, are buried in Sunset Memorial over in Evansville.

Sam died of cerebral thrombosis, arteriosclerosis, and senility on October 10th, 1950. At that time, they were living on "Rural Route 3, Anthoston Rd," which I believe was Highway 136. Sam died at home and was buried in the Gibson Cemetery. 

Camilla died of pneumonia, diabetes mellitus, 2nd degree burns of the neck and back (gas heater), and pyemia. By that point, she was living at 219 Jackson Street here in Henderson, probably with a relative or a caregiver. Camilla died at Methodist Hospital. She was later buried in the Gibson Cemetery.

If you grew up in the Niagara area, you probably knew the late Hubert Hilary Thompson who just passed away in 2019. He was a janitor at Niagara School for years and years. He had also been a founder of the Niagara Volunteer Fire Department and served as their Fire Chief. Hubert was the grandson of Sam & Camilla.

Today, Henderson County is populated with many Thompson's thanks to Sam and his brother John R (my ancestor.) Matter of fact, the United States is populated with descendants of John R. and Janella thanks to the Thompson boys packing up and moving to Chicago and one of them going so far west as Henderson, Nevada. 

Next time you take a jaunt out to the Gibson Cemetery - make sure you stop by and say hello to Sam and Camilla and their many descendants that fill the cemetery.