Rodney Dale Thompson, 85, Dodge Center

Rodney Dale Thompson, 85, of Dodge Center, died on April 4, 2022, at Mayo Clinic Saint Marys Campus in Rochester.
Rodney was born on April 1, 1937, in St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester. He was the son of Kenneth and Mildred (Knudson) Thompson. They lived on a farm where he grew up loving farming.
He told his children that at the age of six he had his own milk cow. He rode his pony to fetch cows from the pasture, enjoyed tractor driving and all things farming. He graduated from the Dodge Center High School where he played football and was a member of the FFA. After high school he joined the U.S. Naval Air Reserves. He met his wife, Carol Ann Rasmussen in high school. They were married and continued on the farm where they raised their family. They were blessed with four children: Deborah (Keith) Gustafson of Waleska, Ga., Stephen (Elizabeth) Thompson of Pembroke Pines, Fla., Paul Thomson of Minnetonka, and Marcia Thompson of Dodge Center.
They have eight grandchildren: Erik (Sookie) Gustafson, Nathan (Jessica) Thomas, Zachary (Kanlaya) Thompson, Lisa (Bert) Sloan, Zoe Thompson, Travis (Meghan) Thomas, Michael and Kristina Thompson. There are three great-grandchildren: Elsa, Lukas, and Aria.
He was a hard worker and found much enjoyment on the farm. In his spare time, he liked to hunt deer and fish with his sons. The family spent many years at their family campout in northern Minnesota where he led the way on the bike trails. He traveled miles in his motor home. His winter retirement years were spent in southern Texas. He spent many hours watching wildlife out the window.
A memorial service for Rodney will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 9, 2022, at Faith Lutheran Church, 308 2nd St NW in Dodge Center, with Reverend Dale Wall officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Inurnment will be in Riverside cemetery in Dodge Center, MN. To share a special memory or condolence please visit www.czaplewskifuneralhomes.com, Czaplewski Family Funeral Homes, 25 South Street SW P.O. Box 502, Dodge Center, MN 55927 (507) 374-2155. Blessed be his memory.