‘Bill’ Thomson, Mattoon High Teacher Dies

Charles William “Bill” Thomson, 35 of 3412 Oak died today, February 9, 1971 in Memorial Hospital. He had been in ill health since December 20.

A resident of Mattoon since 1960, Mr. Thomson was a special education teacher at Mattoon High School. He was formerly of Claremont, Illinois. Before beginning his teaching career at MHS, he was a laboratory technician at Anconda American Brass, Mattoon.

Mr. Thomson, a graduate of East Richland High School at Olney, attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He was graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science degree in geography, psychology and history. He earned his Master of Arts degree in geography in 1970 at EIU.

He was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Mattoon Education Association, Illinois Education Association, life member of the National Education Association, Illinois and National Rifle Association, EIU Alumni Association and honorary geography fraternity, Gamma Theta Upsilon.

Mr. Thomson served in the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1960 and was recalled to duty in 1961 during the Berlin Crisis.

Mr. Thomson was born September 23, 1935 in Calhoun, the son of William Dale and Evelyn Bunn Riggs Thomson. He married Mary Lou Lundeen December 28, 1957 in Mattoon.

Survivors include his widow; one son David Randall, 12 and one daughter, Dawn, 7, both at home; father and step-mother of Claremont; one sister, Mrs. Don (Delores) Knight of Casper, Wyo; one half-sister, Mrs. Jack (Betty) Manning of Indianapolis, Ind.

Funeral services at Mitchell-Jerdan Funeral Home, with burial in Dodge Grove Cemetery, Mattoon.

Journal Gazette (Mattoon, IL) – Tuesday, February 9, 1971