Earl Irvin Thompson, 54, Howes, died Thursday, December 23, 2010, after a brief but courageous battle with liver cancer at the Sturgis Regional Hospital.

Visitation will be noon until 9 p.m. on Wednesday at the Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis.

Funeral services will be 1:00 p.m. on Thursday at the Central Meade County Community Center in Union Center with Pastors Lin and Jill Jennewein officiating. Burial follows at the White Owl Cemetery.

A memorial has been established.

Earl was born August 19, 1956 at Sturgis, SD, to Irvin and Marian (Howie) Thompson. He was raised in Timber Lake and attended grade school there through fifth grade.The family then moved to the ranch at Marcus,where he finished his schooling at Faith, graduating from Faith High School in 1974. He went to work for the Talley Twins north of Faith, SD during his senior year in high school and continued to work there until the death of Rolin.

Earl married Corinna Margarette Mooney at Belle Fourche, SD, on July 14, 1978. To this union one son, Max Wade was born. The couple ranched at the Kow Kamp for several years before moving to Marcus where Earl worked for the Meade County Highway Department. Earl took great pride in his roads, making sure they were at their best.

Earl enjoyed rodeos and team roping. He was a member of the Black Hills Roping Club, the H & M Roping club, Wrangler Team Roping (WTRC) and was the 1986 SDRA Reserve Champion Tie Down Team Roping with Darwyn Day. In October of this year, Earl participated at the WTRC in Billings where he was Third in the National Circuit Roping, and sixth in the # 4 roping. Earl was an avid supporter of any rodeo and events where young people participated. Announcing rodeos was another talent of Earl's. He was a true cowboy at heart. He was a member of the Marcus Presbyterian Church, West River Shrine Club, Master of Faith Masonic Lodge #168 A.F. & A.M., American Quarter Horse Association, American Paint Horse Association, American Angus Association, and a member of the Diamond Jubilee Committee for Faith South Dakota's 75 celebration. He had also served on the Faith Alumni Association board.

Earl bred quality black Angus cattle and loved good horses.

Survivors include his wife Corinna Thompson, Howes; son Max Thompson, Howes; father Irvin Thompson, Marcus; sisters, Adele (Denver) Enright, Timber Lake, SD, Vicky (Harold) Waterland, Howes; one brother, Alton "Bub" (D'Anne) Thompson, Marcus;and his special girl, Sarah (Roy) Hauser Antrim of Faith, one aunt, Bonnie Jean McAtee of Casper, Mother in law, Mary Mooney, Rapid City, Father in law Jake (Lynne) Mooney of Piedmont, also numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his mother and maternal and paternal grandparents, and special friend and confidant Rolin Talley.