[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 2710-2711]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       CELEBRATING THE 100TH BIRTHDAY OF KENNETH WILLIAM THOMPSON

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 15, 2017

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Downey 
resident, Mr. Kenneth William Thompson on the occasion of his 100th 
birthday.
  Ken was born on February 9, 1917, to William and Eleanor Thompson in 
Virginia, Minnesota. The third of four boys, he spent his childhood in 
nearby Duluth, where the Thompson family survived the many challenges 
of the Great Depression. In 1940, the family moved west to California.
  In 1942, at the outbreak of World War II, Ken was drafted into the 
U.S. Army, where he served as a Radar Technician (T5). Two of his 
brothers also served in World War II, in the U.S. Navy. During his tour 
of duty from 1942 to 1945, Ken served overseas in France, Belgium, and 
Germany. He fought in five major battles, including the Battle of the 
Bulge and at Bastogne. When the war in Europe ended, he was one of four 
in his unit who was scheduled to go to Japan because of his radar 
training, but the war ended before he shipped out.
  After the war ended, Ken returned to California, where he met Vivian 
Laura Oden of St. Paul, Minnesota. They were married in 1948, and 
settled in Downey, California, where they raised their three beautiful 
daughters: Joan, Kathy, and Mary.
  Ken was employed by Maytag for 35 years, where he worked in many 
positions until he retired in 1982. His loving wife, Vivian, died on 
February 19, 2000. Today, their family includes nine grandchildren and 
eight great-grandchildren.
  Ken has made his home in Downey for 67 years, and has been very 
active in the community schools, for which he was awarded the Honorary 
Service Award. He has also been actively involved with the Evangelical 
Free Church in Fullerton and the Trinity Baptist Church in Downey.
  According to people who know Ken, and that is quite a large group, 
his life is built on love for faith, family, friends, a good wit, 
laughter, service to others, hard work, and a deep and abiding passion 
for his country.
  Ken became 100 years old on February 9, 2017, and is celebrating this 
significant milestone on Saturday, February 18, 2017, at the Trinity 
Baptist Church.
  I am honored to join with local leaders, and with Mr. Thompson's 
family and friends, in wishing him a very happy 100th birthday.

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