Pearl Hazel (Murphy) Thomson

Pearl Hazel (Murphy) Thomson, 94, of Livingston, Montana passed away Thursday night, January 25th, 2018 at Frontier Assisted Living. Graveside dedication will be at 2:00 at Parkview Memorial Gardens in Paradise Valley, on Wednesday, January 31st; please meet at Franzen-Davis (118 N 3rd St., Livingston) for procession to the cemetery by 1:30 P.M. A celebration of Pearl's life will be held Saturday, February 3rd, at 11:00 A.M. at Frontier Assisted Living, lunch will be served afterwards.She was born Pearl Hazel Murphy on September 9th of 1923, in Grandview, Idaho, to Laura Alice Waldo and Andrew Ivan Murphy. She was the youngest of three daughters amidst a sea of twelve sons. Pearl inherited more blood from her Irish father than she did from her gentle English mother. To say that Pearl was feisty may be a slight understatement! The Murphy's of Boise, Idaho, had their finest moment when they won a car at the country fair, for having the most children; however, all of them couldn't fit in the car!When Pearl's father purchased a farm in Boise, Idaho, he moved his family there, from Grandview. One summer day, Pearl, excited, ran into the house to have her mother come look out the window at the handsome young stranger out in the yard with her brothers. (his family had moved down the lane from Rexburg, Idaho) Pearl said 'Mom, that's the guy, I'm going to marry!' Indeed it was, the marriage took place on September the 28th 1940, in Grandview, Idaho. This union brought five children to them, all born in Boise. Sharon, Harold, Doug, Pam and Mark.In 1953, Tommy brought a huge change to Pearl and his children's lives, he moved them to Livingston with the Downer Lumber Company, a sawmill. The first year for Tommy was difficult, because, Pearl and his children had never been away from their Boise family members. The first Christmas in Livingston, was a time for tears, led by Pearl, especially when Elvis would sing, 'I'll have a blue Christmas without you!' It seemed to be the only Christmas song on the radio! The time came, though, when Pearl would say, 'I'd never move back to Boise,' she had settled in. Tommy was kept busy managing his sawmills, and Pearl was kept busy managing him. In 1963, Pearl and Tommy built their house in the Warner Addition, Tommy put a different wood in the various rooms. Pearl bragged about varnishing the cathedral ceiling in the living room. Pearl worked hard to maintain the new home she was so proud of, she had many rules for it and she'd let you know if you broke one. (sometimes, she'd make a new rule without letting you know!) Pearl put notes in various spots in the house informing you how to treat them, Pearl also tried to keep her children accounted for, which was a challenge! The joke was, when Tommy passed, Pearl had to live a long time to have her own space, unlike girls who didn't marry right away. Pearl missed Tommy, but was content to have the two rooms she lived in at Frontier Assisted Living, and she loved the people who took such good care of her. Pearl suffered from Osteoarthritis, and was in so much pain from it, now she is pain-free.Pearl is survived by her three children, Sharon K. Snow, Douglas C. Thomson and Pamela M. Thomson, all of Livingston, and daughter-in-law, Yvonne Thomson of Forsyth, and the last remaining Murphy, her brother Larry Murphy of Boise. Pearl is also survived by 15 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Pearl is preceded in death by her sons, Harold and Mark, her parents and eleven of her brothers and two sisters.Arrangements are under the care of Franzen-Davis Funeral Home and Crematory.