Ella (Dyer) Thompson
Files
Title
Ella (Dyer) Thompson
Subject
Thompson, Eleonora "Ella" Dyer (1915-1986)
African Americans - Virginia - Shenandoah County
Description
Photo of a photograph of Ella (Dyer)Thompson standing outside and holding two cats in her arms.
She was the daughter of Bert and Elizabeth (Thomas) Dyer and grew up near Mt. Jackson, later moving to Woodstock.
Two of her oldest brothers, George (1903-1918) and Joe (ca 1904-1918) died during the influenza epidemic in 1918 and are buried in the Mt. Jackson Colored Cemetery.
In the 1920 census, Ella lived on "Scroge Town Road" in the Ashby District of Shenandoah County with her family. Her father worked as a farm laborer but was best remembered for winning a fund-raising debate for his church in 1924, held at the New Theatre in Woodstock. The question was whether married life was better than being single. Bert argued the positive side of being married.
Ella worked cleaning houses. The 1950 census found her, still single, and living with her widowed mother, brother John, and nephew, Earl Dyer on West Spring Street in Woodstock.
Sometime after that, she got a position with the Shenandoah County Schools. Her photograph appears in the 1956 Woodstock High School with other staff. At that time, she worked as a "Maid".
Ella's husband was Warren Gilmer Thompson, Sr. (1921-2011).
Both are buried together in River View Cemetery in Woodstock.
She was the daughter of Bert and Elizabeth (Thomas) Dyer and grew up near Mt. Jackson, later moving to Woodstock.
Two of her oldest brothers, George (1903-1918) and Joe (ca 1904-1918) died during the influenza epidemic in 1918 and are buried in the Mt. Jackson Colored Cemetery.
In the 1920 census, Ella lived on "Scroge Town Road" in the Ashby District of Shenandoah County with her family. Her father worked as a farm laborer but was best remembered for winning a fund-raising debate for his church in 1924, held at the New Theatre in Woodstock. The question was whether married life was better than being single. Bert argued the positive side of being married.
Ella worked cleaning houses. The 1950 census found her, still single, and living with her widowed mother, brother John, and nephew, Earl Dyer on West Spring Street in Woodstock.
Sometime after that, she got a position with the Shenandoah County Schools. Her photograph appears in the 1956 Woodstock High School with other staff. At that time, she worked as a "Maid".
Ella's husband was Warren Gilmer Thompson, Sr. (1921-2011).
Both are buried together in River View Cemetery in Woodstock.
Creator
Morrison Studio
Source
Morrison Studio Collection - Shenandoah County Historical Society
Publisher
Shenandoah County Library
Date
Undated
Contributor
Identified in 2019 by Norman Pye.
Biographical information was compiled from public records including the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for the Mt. Jackson Colored Cemetery located at 225 Nelson Street in Mt.Jackson (page 14).
Rights
IN COPYRIGHT - NON-COMMERCIAL USE PERMITTED
Relation
Ella (Dyer) Thompson appears in Morrison Studio Collection images 002653 and 024119.
Identifier
002653
Original Format
Glass Negative
Collection
Citation
Morrison Studio, “Ella (Dyer) Thompson,” Shenandoah County Library Archives, accessed February 1, 2026, https://archives.countylib.org/items/show/27922.
Comments