October 22, 1947 – December 24, 2021

Miles Franklin Thompson, 74, of Elgin, OR, died December 24, 2021, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Walla Walla. At his request there will be no services.

Miles was born October 22, 1947, in Nyssa, Oregon, to Mabel McDaniel Thompson and John Frank Thompson. He attended school in Parma, Idaho, graduating from Parma High School in 1966.

After graduation, Miles enlisted in the Army where he became a Sergeant in the military police, spending a year in Korea during the Vietnam War, and receiving several medals and commendations before receiving an honorable discharge. He then became an appliance repair service technician for Sears Roebuck & Co. in Boise.

Miles married Larrissa Schmidt and later became the proud parents of Miles (Mick) Thompson. After moving to Baker, Miles and his father-in-law Marv Schmidt partnered in the appliance repair business of “S & T Service” for years. Miles took over the business after Marv retired.

Miles later married Marilyn (Scott) Helman in 1979 in Baker, where they lived until after they finished renovating her childhood home outside of Elgin (at Cricket Flat) in 1994. They lived out at “The Ranch” where Miles loved more than anything to walk out the back door to hunt with his dearest friends and family. They remained married until Marilyn’s passing on July 29, 2021.

Miles was always known for being a hard worker both at his job and out at the ranch. He worked for Arrow store in La Grande, doing appliance repair for almost 30 years, working up to the two weeks prior to his death.

During his many years in Baker you could usually find Miles with his family and friends up at Phillips Lake riding his “suped up” jet skis on the weekends. The jet skis were never new, they were always traded for work he’d done on someone’s appliances, but he rebuilt them in ways that always made them the fastest, most popular to ride (and likely the most dangerous) on the lake.

Miles will probably be best remembered for his athleticism by both his fellow softball team members and his grandkids as he was the first to let them know that he was the fastest runner you ever met, followed by a foot race to prove his point. He loved playing softball on teams in Baker and La Grande, traveling throughout the state for tournaments. He was usually the oldest (and sometimes the fastest) on the team and was affectionately known as “Pops” by his fellow teammates.

He also spent over 25 years as a member of the Baker Elks Drum and Bugle Corps, playing the trumpet and making lifelong friendships with his fellow band members. For many of those years, Miles played the difficult trumpet solo known as “The Bull.” He loved the Corps and had endless stories of the antics and shenanigans that occurred during their many trips across the Northwest for performances.

Miles loved his grandchildren and great-grandchild very much. Survivors include his sister, Charlotte of Alaska; son, Miles (Mick) Thompson of Boise; his step-son, Darin Helman and step-daughter, Kristi Helman both of Baker City; his grandchildren, Lindsey Helman, Logan Hagey, Connor Hagey, Eiann DeLint, Shaun (Lucy) Roland, and Evann Brown; a nephew, Jeff Cremer; and a great-grandchild, Jackson Gonzales.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Mabel and John Thompson; his wife, Marilyn Thompson; his brother, Pete Thompson; his step-daughter, Kari DeLint; and his granddaughter, Katie Helman.

Miles and Marilyn’s ashes will be spread over the ranch in the spring where they can bicker together eternally.