Thompson Grocery Store in Mount Olive, NC
Far Right: David O. Thompson
Nellie R. Thompson
Both of David's parents were dead by the time he was 14. His father died in 1908, and his mother died in 1915. David and his brothers, Carlos and Arthur, lived with area families and relatives in thier early years. In 1925 David O. Thompson married Donnie S. Best, daughter of George Washington and Mary Frances Williams Best of Duplin County, NC. David and Donnie Thompson had one child, a daughter, named Nellie Rae Thompson. Nellie married James G. Francis of Waynesville (Haywood County), North Carolina. David was a merchant in the Mount Olive area. He owned and operated several businesses in Mount Olive at one time or another during his life. Among them were Southside Service Station, and Thompson and Francis Grocery Store. He was a member of First Baptist church of Mount Olive at the time of his death in 1982. As I mentioned earlier, both of David's parents were dead by the time he was 14. Both of his brothers died early also. Carlos died in 1928, and Arthur died in 1950. Niether ever married. The only family he knew of, other than his surviving brother, his wife, and daughter, was an uncle who lived in Drew County, Arkansas, named Josiah S. Thompson. In the 1930s he, his wife, and daughter drove to Arkansas on their way to the Texas Exposition to visit the family of Josiah S. Thompson. It was a grand reunion for a young man whose family back home had all, for the most part, died. The two families remained in contact for several years until Josiah and his wife died. When David died in 1982 he didn't know if he had any surviving family anywhere other than his wife and daughter. He didn't even know the name of his grandfather, much less that his grandfather had fought and died in the Battle of Gettysburg in the Civil War. It was not until after the death of David O. Thompson that I became interested in trying to find any of his family. I found quite a bit of information early on about his grandparents, Josiah and Catherine Lilly Thompson. But it was not until 1997 that I found descendants of the Arkansas Thompson family. My nephew went to Arkansas to visit our long lost relatives in January, 1997. What a great reunion it was. One week after we returned Mrs. Donnie Best Thompson died on 22 January. But before she died I was able to communicate to her that her beloved departed husband's family was still alive and well in Arkansas. David O. and Donnie Best Thompson were my maternal grandparents. I lovingly dedicate this web site to the glory of my God and Savior, Jesus Christ, and in memory of David and Donnie Thompson. Their family lives.
