What began as a sign of affection some 65 years ago, continues
today with the commitment to service made by the professional staff at Thompson-Larson Funeral
Home.
In 1934, Theodore Thompson built the Thompson-Larson Funeral
Home as a wedding gift for his bride, Julia Larson. Ms. Larson
was the first female licensed funeral director in the state of
North Dakota.
In 1945, Edward and Catherine Fisher purchased the business
from the Thompsons. Mr. Fisher was a funeral director with roots
in the Wahpeton, North Dakota, area. Mrs. Fisher grew up in the
railroad town of Breckenridge, Minnesota. Prior to coming to
Minot, Mr. Fisher was a funeral director in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The Fisher family lived above the funeral home and the family
was actively involved in all aspects of the business. Ed and
Catherine's elder son, Tom, took a special interest and after
completing his education, returned to help his parents operate
the business. In 1972, Engen Eckmann joined the staff as a licensed
funeral director.
As the business grew, so did the demands placed upon the owners
and operators of Thompson-Larson Funeral Home. In 1983, Wes Burkart
joined the firm as a licensed funeral director. In 1984, Bruce
Kramer came aboard as business manager and to assist on funerals.
As a group, Tom Fisher, Engen Eckmann, Wes Burkart and Bruce
Kramer worked as managing partners in operating the funeral home.
This partnership continues today, with Engen Eckmann, Wes Burkart,
Bruce Kramer and Grace Fisher as active partners in the business.
In 1994, Casey Sidener joined the firm as a licensed funeral
director,and in 2004, Kelly Sorensen and Ben Slind.
Over the years Thompson-Larson has always striven to provide
dignified and compassionate service to the many families who
call upon us. Our commitment is also reflected in our support
of various organizations and activities throughout the region,
including church and civic groups, schools and charitable organizations.
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Commentary for the
book
"Tom Fisher
Funeral Director
Chapters In A Life"
"Tom Fisher, Funeral Director, Chapters in a Life,"
is part biography and part memoir, flavored with a little
history and a little humor. It is primarily about funeral service
and Fisher's unique role in it, written by his wife Grace who
tackled the project with a degree of wariness, knowing that her
objectivity would be somewhat limited.
She managed her task with the help of her husband by including
much of his own writing in her book, a portion of which is a
book of his own. In a way, he emerges as a co-author of "Chapters."
Readers unacquainted with funeral service will get both an
intimate and broad look at it in "Chapters," much of
it provided by the writer's husband as he lived it, wrote it,
and talked about it. The author includes her feelings on the
subject of funeral service as she was introduced to it.
Woven into the narrative is a pool of history of Minot, North
Dakota, a mid-sized community in the upper Midwest. An important
feature of the book covers a second career Fisher maintained
for some years in radio and television and how he adapted his
skills in those areas to his funeral home operation.
"Chapters" tells about his work with politicians.
One chapter focuses on his problem with alcohol, his treatment
for the disease, and his emergence from it. His wife also writes
about his battle with depression and his recovery from that.
A small book, "Chapters" is more that a brief tale
about a local character. It is a paean to funeral service and
to man whose career in it took on a national dimension as he
traveled the country with the message that funeral service is
a worthy profession whose members have many good reasons to be
proud of what they do.
This is the second book by Grace Fisher, who was a journalist
for thirty years with The Minot Daily News. She also wrote
a history of her parish in Minot, "St. Leo's: The First
100 Years (1886-1986)," and an addition to that for
the 100th anniversary of the St. Leo's church building in 2008.
She assembled a small document, "Sisters In Teaching,
The Minot Catholic Schools, 1926-2006." She has also
written a small family memoir, profiles, essays and countless
obituaries.
Anyone interested in obtaining a copy
of the book may contact Ms. Fisher at 701-852-3941.
