Holly Thompson

September 30, 1943 — February 14, 2026

Sedan, Kansas

Josephine Hollace Thomson (Holly) was born 30 September 1943 at Winfield General Hospital

in Winfield, Kansas. Holly passed away at 12:30 A.M. at a nursing home in Sedan, Kansas.

Holly was preceded in death by her mother, Dorothy Piggott Thomson; her father, James Hollister Thomson; and her half-brother, Martin Thadf Kinnaman. Holly is survived by her brother James Otis Thomson, her half-sister Constance Louise Rodgers; 4 nieces, Airrianne Melinda Burns, Heather Nicole Wiley, Holly Jo Velasquez, and Michelle Gray; 3 nephews, Jared Hollister Thomson, Terry Earl Gray, and Scott Alan Gray; 1 great-niece; Juliana Velasquez; 4 great-nephews; Eduardo Velasquez, Conner Wiley, Collin Wiley, and Michael Wiley.

Holly graduated from Ottawa High School, Ottawa, Kansas, in 1961, from the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas in 1965 majoring in Russian Literature. Holly was a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority. She worked for a short time for both the Kansas University Alumni Association and the Kansas University Endowment Association. Holly went on to become a professional fund raiser specializing in raising funds for hospitals. Among her other fund raising successes she formed and led a group of fund raisers that raised over 4 million dollars to build the Arnold Palmer Memorial Hospital Children's Wing.

A graveside funeral service will be held 1 p.m. Friday, February 20, 2026 ,at the Osawatomie Cemetery.  Online condolences can be left at www.eddybirchard.com.

(Published in the Linn County Journal on February 20, 2026.)