Anna LaVerne "Tudy" (Schulte) Thompson was born in St Helena, Nebraska on December 17, 1930. She was one of nine children, and everyone called her "Tudy" from a very young age.

The Schulte family lived on a farm in a white, two-story house situated near the Missouri River, with chickens, cows, horses, and corn fields. At the time, St Helena was a very small town of about 100. Many of the community members were immigrants from Germany, including Tudy's grandparents on both sides of the family.

As a child, Tudy cherished the time she spent playing with her siblings and cousins every weekend. This deep love for her family would develop into one of her most enduring and admirable qualities.

After two years of high school in St Helena, Tudy transferred to an all-girls boarding school in Yankton South Dakota, 15 miles from home. She then went on to attend Mount Marty College followed by Sacred Heart Nursing School (both in Yankton), completing her nursing degree in 1952.

Tudy began her nursing career at Sacred Heart Hospital, also in Yankton. It was at this same hospital that she met her husband, Don, who was a medical student and working as an orderly.

Tudy and Don married in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Thanksgiving Day in 1954. Their first child, Gaylon, was born in Yankton in 1955. The following year they moved the family to Merced, CA when Don began his residency. Their first daughter, Sheila, was born during their time in Merced.

In 1958 Don bought a family practice in Gilroy, Ca. This is where they purchased their 1st home on Filice Drive. Their daughter, Glenda, was born in 1960 and their son, Eric, was born in 1968.

As a stay-at-home mom, Tudy enjoyed getting involved with the parents club, helping out in her children's classrooms, and volunteering as a school nurse. She was also involved with CCD  at Saint Mary School, Women in Touch, Catholic Charities, Ways and Means, and PEO.

In the late 1970s, Tudy again returned to nursing, working in convalescent homes. She also volunteered at St Louise Hospital and was a part-time fill-in nurse in Don's medical office.

She and Don lived in Gilroy for 40 years before moving to Roseville, CA in 1997. They returned to Gilroy in 2015 to be closer to family.

Tudy had a great love for history, nature, daily walks, hiking, skiing, gardening, and travel with family and friends. She loved spending time in the mountains at South Lake Tahoe.

Her faith and her love for family and friends were always the most important part of her life. She was known for lending a caring and compassionate ear to those she loved.

Tudy was preceded in death by her husband, Don; her son, Gaylon; her parents, Frank and Frances Schulte; Don's parents, Lorenzo and Sylvia Thompson; her brothers and sisters, Roman (Esther), Ralph, Cliff (Jennette), Gerald (Mary Ann), Butch, Harry (Dodie), Sally (Laddie), and Helen; her brother-in-law, Keith; and her in-laws, Harlin, Virgil, Maynard, Lorainne (Kaye), Virginia (Forest), and Phyllis (John).

Those left to honor her memory are her children, Sheila Thompson, Glenda Zanger (Joe) and Eric Thompson. She is also survived by six grandchildren, Gerrod (Lea), Megan (Josh), Elliot (Laura), Aubree, Taryn, and Taylor; four great grandchildren, Margot, Ava, Emery, and Silas; her sister, Louise; her sisters-in-law Sharon, Marge, and Esther, and numerous nieces and nephews.

A service in celebration of Tudy's life will be held at Saint Mary Church in Gilroy on Friday, December 6 at 10 a.m.

There will be a reception at Old City Hall Restaurant following the funeral