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Anna May (Laughery) Thompson |
Anna May (Laughery) Thompson was born
on Sept. 4, 1901
in Dunbar or Vanderbilt, Fayette County, PA, the daughter of David
Leander and Martha Jane "Mattie" (Harbaugh) Laughery. She also
went by the spelling of "Anna Mae."
Anna May and Charles Thompson
She grew up in Vanderbilt, where her father served as United States postmaster.
As a nine-year-old, in about 1910, Anna May and her parents and siblings moved to the state of Delaware, where they settled on a farm in Kent County. Anna May remained in Delaware for the rest of her life.
Anna May married Charles Dewey Thompson (1898-1972). They made their home on a farm in Harrington, Kent County.
The Thompsons had four children -- Charles Henry Thompson, Albert Leon Thompson, Alvin "Buck" Thompson and Hazel Davis.
Tragically, only two of their children survived into adulthood. Son Albert died of loose bowels at age two on Oct. 3, 1924. Son Charles, a schoolboy of age 14, was felled by "acute cardilation" and rheumatic fever on July 17, 1935, after having eaten green grapes that were somehow poisonous.
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The Thompson farm near Harrington, Delaware |
Charles and Anna May owned a 122-acre farm in south Kent County, three miles southwest of Harrington, and
five minutes from the Harrington Raceway. They raised dairy cattle on the
acreage. Photographs of the farm were printed on a flyer
used to sell the farm after their deaths.
Sale flyer
A description of the property said
that:
This farm consists of approximately 122 acres, 90 perches. One hundred acres clear land with 22 acres woodland. Block and frame barns, 45-foot silo; James Way barn cleaner; closed in equipment shed. Two-story framed constructed dwelling with white aluminum siding, with all modern conveniences. Three bedrooms and bath, living-room, dining room, kitchen, closed side porch, utility room, heating system, paneled and wall-to-wall carpet... Block barn has 26 stanchions with barn cleaner, water cups, attached silo and milk house, loft has 7500-bale capacity. Soil is very good for hay and pasture.
Sometime in the late 1950s or early '60s, Anna May and her adult siblings traveled
"back home" to the mountains of Western Pennsylvania to attend a
reunion of their mother's family, the Harbaughs. They are pictured in a small
group portrait taken that day, held at the Odd Fellows Grove in Kingwood,
Somerset County.
Anna May's grave
Anna May passed away at the age of 69 on March 30, 1971. She was laid to rest in the Hollywood Cemetery near Harrington.
Charles
suffered from emphysema and is remembered for "coughing a lot." He
only outlived his wife by a little less than a year.
Charles' grave
He died on March 5, 1972, at the age of 74.
Daughter Hazel Davis served as executrix of her parents' estate. She arranged for the 122-acre farm to be sold at auction on April 29, 1972. A flyer printed for the sale said that the land was "nicely located with lots of possibilities. Could be made into a grade A dairy [or] ... easily be converted to a horse farm." The sale was conducted by auctioneers Frank F. Quillen and Associates.
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Anna May and Charles, 1950s |
~ Son Alvin "Buck" Thompson ~
Son
Alvin "Buck" Thompson (1927-2003) was born in 1927.
Hollywood Cemetery
He married Nancy Dennis ( ? -2019), daughter of Raymond H. and Clara Dennis Sr of Pennsylvania.
They lived in Milford and Harrington, where he worked for many years at General Foods. They also had their own floral shop in Harrington called "Country Flowers," which they finally sold to an employee in 1993.
They together bore five children -- JoAnn Moore, Robert Thompson, Susan Thompson, Barry Thompson and Jerry Thompson.
Over the years, the Thompsons were very active with the annual Laughery Reunions and hosted the event at their home circa 1978 and 1985.
At the reunion in 1976, Nancy
announced that a family tree begun the previous year was now almost completed
with all of the lines brought up to date to the present day.
Nancy with her family legacy quilt
A talented seamstress, Nancy also designed and created a family tree quilt with family photographs printed onto fabric and arranged in their respective lineage lines. Seen at right, Nancy stands with her creation at a Laughery reunion. (Click to see an enlarged, more detailed view of this unique creation on our Online Quilt Museum.)
The Thompsons later moved to Felton, Kent County, DE. After the sale of Country Flowers, said an obituary, Nancy "owned and operated, Something Special, for about 10 years. She was a very good florist and wedding coordinator, who put her artistic and creative talents to good use."
Buck passed away at the age of 81 on Dec. 19, 2003. He was laid to rest at Hollywood Cemetery.
An obituary said that over the years, the community-minded Nancy "held various positions in multiple clubs over the years, and belonged to many, such as the Senior Center, Red Hatters, Girl Scouts, and the Choir Mothers of Asbury United Methodist Church, which she was very active in. She was a take charge kind of person, trusted by all, and very well organized. She was instrumental in a lot of community events, programs, and parades. She gave a lot of her time, talents, and resources without ever expecting praise or a thank you. Whatever activity her children participated in, you could guarantee she would become a part of that as well and use her talents to strengthen that club or organization."
Nancy continued to attend Laughery Reunions. In 2010, during a visit by the founder of this website, she graciously provided family history information and a driving tour to the old Thompson farm and to the Hollywood Cemetery.
She passed into the arms of the heavenly host at the age of 85 on Sept. 8, 2019. The headcount of her survivors included 10 grandchildren and a multitude of great-grandchildren.
Daughter JoAnn Thompson ( ? - ? ) married (?) Moore.
Son Robert "Bobby" Thompson ( ? -2025) was born on (?). He was a Boy Scout in childhood and grew up next to Wheelers Park in Harrington, a recreational area including a swimming pool, playground, rides, concession stands and ponies. Robert was an alumnus of Harrington High School, where he played football and basketball. He was joined in wedlock with Teresa ( ? - ? ). Theirs' was a whirlwind romance, meeting at her Harrington Pharmacy workplace, with an engagement on Valentine's Day and marriage on May 1, 1977. Two children in this family were Trinity "Trin" Thompson and Katrina "Kati" Thompson. Robert was employed as a pipefitter by Playtex of Dover which included travel all across the country. His other specialties included as a millwright, plumber, carpenter and welder. Said an obituary, "Bobby was a true nature lover, and enjoyed being outdoors. Surfing, sailing, tanning, and spending as much of his free time at the beach were some of his favorite things to do. Playing pickleball and being with friends was also something he enjoyed... With Teresa, they enjoyed traveling, going to music festivals, beaches, and the mountains. They even had a business together selling health supplements. Together they loved to bless others whether it was friends or strangers. They started a local chapter of the Brown Bag Club which they ran for years, and sponsored several homeless families and went on numerous missions trips to other countries. Bobby was a devoted Christian and lived his life to serve God. As their children were growing up, Bobby helped coach Little League, and supported them in soccer, dance, pageants, martial arts, and scouts." Teresa became seriously ill and died three months after their 25th wedding anniversary. As a widower, Robert "devoted his life to his grandchildren and supported them in all their endeavors which included soccer, theatre, choir, art, dance, music, martial arts, and the scouts, often video taping their events," said a newspaper. Sadly, at the age of 74, he died in Bayhealth-Sussex Hospital on July 9, 2025.
- Grandson Trinity "Trin" Thompson ( ? - ? )
- Granddaughter Katrina "Kati" Thompson ( ? - ? ) graciously has contributed valuable content for this biography.
Daughter Susan Thompson ( ? -2023) was born on (?). She tied the marital cord with (?) Powell ( ? - ? ) and (?) Carter. Two sons in her family were Spencer Powell and Chase Thompson-Carter. Her home for years was in Harrington. Said an obituary, Susan "was a lifelong hair dresser [and] worked for various salons over the years, but mainly out of her home. She had an extensive clientele and she enjoyed interacting with her customers who she treated like family. On the rare occasion that she was not working, Susan enjoyed going to the beach and collecting seashells and sea glass. Throughout her lifetime, she also enjoyed spending time at Wheeler's Park in Harrington. Susan made an impact on a lot of people in the community and will be remembered for her sweet heart and caring nature." Sadly, at the age of 64, she died on Nov. 7, 2023.
- Grandson Spencer Powell ( ? - ? )
- Grandson Chase Thompson-Carter ( ? - ? )
Son Barry Thompson ( ? - ? )
Son Jerry Thompson ( ? - ? )
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| Harbaugh family tree, as drawn by Nancy Thompson in 1975, and displayed at the Laughery Reunion in 2010 |
~ Daughter Hazel (Thompson) Davis ~
Daughter Hazel Thompson (1929- ? ) was born in 1929.
She married Louis Davis ( ? - ? ).
They had two children -- Betty Jane Davis and Richard Davis.
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