Myrna Kay Tompkins' Obituary
Myrna Kay Tompkins, age 79, of Centerville, passed away Tuesday, December 17, 2024 at Bloomfield Care Center.
Myrna was born on January 20, 1945 at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Centerville to Flavy and Verna (Small) Lawson. She joined brothers Dwight and DeWayne living on a small farm in Monterey, Iowa.
Myrna attended Moulton-Udell High School, where she participated in choir and marching band, where she played the trumpet-often playing taps for funerals and graduated with the Class of 1963, then moving to Muscatine, Iowa to attend Community College. While attending college, she worked nights at Bandag Corporation as a receptionist. There, she met Robert Tompkins, who she would go on to marry on November 25, 1967. When marrying Robert, she gained two daughters, DeAnn and Angela, then added daughter, Robin in 1968.
Myrna and Robert moved to Centerville in 1975 to be closer to family, where she became a secretary/receptionist for 20 years at Young Radiator until their closing. She went on to work in the same position for Barker's before retiring. For a short period of time, she did house cleaning for people and later worked for Family Care Clinic.
Myrna enjoyed spending time in her garden, growing flowers, baking for people, crocheting, embordering, putting puzzles together, reading good books, playing Dominos, Uno, and Scrabble, playing piano/organ for church and visiting about her grandchildren or great grandchildren. One of Myrna's favorite sayings was "Chocolate is the answer. Who cares what the question is?" Chocolate or baked goods of some sort were always in her kitchen or freezer-ready to be shared by all. Myrna loved baking and cooking so much, that she wrote and had her own cookbook published in 1997. She always looked forward to spring and summer time where she could plant vegetables and flowers, mow grass and walk with her neighbor, Janette Barber.
Myrna was a member of the Monterey Christian Church from the age of 15 until it's closing. You would find her playing the organ or piano there, which she continued to do at her most current church, Church of Christ. You could often hear her practicing songs in the mornings at the apartment that she and Robert shared. It was one of her most cherished gifts to share.
Myrna is survived by her husband of 57 years, Robert Tompkins; her daughters, Robin (Brad) Spurgeon and DeAnn (Felix) Torres; her brother, DeWayne (Sheryl) Lawson; her brother-in-law, Richard (Dorothy) Tompkins; as well as multiple grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins.
Myrna was preceded in death by her parents, Flavy and Verna Lawson; her in-laws, Rufus and Evelyn Tompkins; her brother, Dwight Lawson; her sister-in-law, Carolyn Lawson; her daughter, Angela Ottesen; her son-in-law, Kevin Ottesen; nephew, Mike Lawson; grandson-in-law, Josh Johnson; brothers-in-law, Gene and Guy Tompkins; her sister-in-law, Mavis Lambert; and her granddaughter, Amanda Spurgeon.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00AM, Friday, December 20, 2024 at Thomas Funeral Home in Centerville. Burial will follow the service at Sunset View Cemetery in Moulton. Visitation will take place Friday, December 20, 2024 at Thomas Funeral Home, with the family greeting friends from 9:00AM-11:00AM. Memorials have been established to the Family of Myrna Tompkins, to be established at a later date, and may be mailed to Thomas Funeral Home, ATTN: Tompkins Family, 501 North 18th Street, Centerville, Iowa 52544. Condolences may be shared online at https://www.thomasfh.com or https://www.facebook.com/thomasfuneralhome.
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